Extractive separation of lower valent vanadium by complexation with picolinic acid

Vanadium (III), obtained by sodium dithionite reduction of vanadium (V), forms a coloured complex with picolinic acid which is extracted into chloroform from slightly acidic medium. The method is free from interference by relatively high concentrations of analytical important elements such as iron, cobalt, nickel, zinc, copper, titanium, aluminium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten and uranium. The proposed method of separation is simple and rapid and its applicability has been tested by the satisfactory recovery of vanadium from a variety of synthetic and natural samples. (orig.)