Flame Photometer Protocol: P05-020A

Determination of Potassium in Granular and Powdered

Inorganic Fertilizers

Introduction
Fertilizers are chemical compounds applied to promote plant and fruit growth. Fertilizers are usually applied
either through the soil or, by foliar feeding for uptake through leaves. Inorganic fertilizers are composed of
simple chemicals and minerals, the major nutrients being nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potssium (K).
Inorganic fertilizers are labeled according to the relative amounts of each of these three elements, by
weight. Potassium is reported as the mass fraction of potassium oxide (K2O).

Materials Required
Equipment
Jenway Flame Photometer
Accurate balance weighing to 0.0005g
Volumetric glassware
Whatman No.30 filter paper
Beakers
Hotplate

Reagents
Ammonium oxalate – saturated solution
Ammonium hydroxide – 5M
Potassium dihydrogen phosphate
Deionised water

Method
Sample preparation
1. Accurately weigh out 2.5g of the sample, which has previously been ground to pass through a B.S.S.
No.60 sieve.

2. Transfer to a 400ml beaker and add 125ml of deionised water and 50ml of ammonium oxalate solution.
Boil gently for 30 minutes.

3. Cool the solution and add a slight excess of ammonium hydroxide solution.

4. Cool and transfer to a 250ml volumetric flask and dilute to volume.

5. Mix the solution and filter a portion through a dry Whatman No.30 filter paper into a clean, dry 250ml
beaker.

6. Transfer a 25ml aliquot of the filtrate to a 500ml volumetric flask and dilute to volume with deionised
water. Mix well.

7. Transfer a suitable aliquot (see note below) to a 100ml volumetric flask so that the final solution contains
approximately 16ppm K2O.

8. Dilute to 100ml with deionised water and mix well.

jenwayhelp@bibby-scientific.com
www.jenway.com
Tel: +44 (0)1785 810433
Standard preparation
1. Accurately weigh 5.779g of potassium dihydrogen phosphate previously dried for one hour at 105°C.

2. Dissolve in 50ml of deionised water and transfer to a 1 litre volumetric flask and dilute to volume with
deionised water. This solution contains 2000ppm K2O.

3. Transfer 50ml of the 2000ppm K2O standard solution to a 1 litre volumetric flask and dilute to volume with
deionised water. This solution contains 100ppm K2O.

4. Prepare further standards containing 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20ppm K2O by diluting 10, 12, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18 and 20ml respectively of the 100ppm K2O solution to 100ml.

Method
1. Setup the instrument for potassium as detailed in the instruction manual.

2. Set the zero using deionised water.

3. Set the instrument to read 100 using the 20ppm K2O solution and successively aspirate the 10, 12, 14, 16
and 18ppm solutions three times each. Take the mean reading for each concentration and construct a
calibration graph.

4. Aspirate the sample solution and record the reading.

5. Determine the approximate concentration of potassium in the sample solution by referring to the
calibration graph.

6. Prepare two further standard solutions to contain respectively 1ppm more and 1ppm less K2O than the
approximate potassium concentration of the sample solution. The concentration is usually between 15
and 17ppm K2O respectively.

7. Set the instrument to 100 with the 20ppm K2O solution and successively aspirate the lower standard
solution, the sample solution and higher standard solution.

8. Repeat this procedure twice more and take the mean result of each set of three readings.

9. Prepare a calibration graph and calculate the concentration of K2O in the sample.

Calculation

%K 2O = ppm K2O in sample solution x 20

Volume of aliquot

Note
A suitable aliquot to contain 16ppm K2O based on the guaranteed analysis of the compound fertiliser may
be calculated as follows:

Aliquot volume in ml = 20 x 16
Guaranteed K2O content

jenwayhelp@bibby-scientific.com
www.jenway.com
Tel: +44 (0)1785 810433