Infra-Red Spectra of Water-soluble Carbonates

Abstract

INFRA-RED spectra of some carbonates have been reported by Hunt, Wisherd and Bonham¹, Underwood, Toribara and Neuman² and by Miller and Wilkins³. Hunt et al. suggested that the position of the band near 11µ was a function of the atomic weight of the cation, and also pointed out that Miller and Wilkins's work substantiated this suggestion with the exception of lithium carbonate. We have evidence that this is not so. Further, Underwood et al. reported the 11µ band for sodium and potassium at different positions from that reported by Miller and his workers. Although they indicated their results were in general agreement with Miller and Wilkins, no attempt to point out or explain this discrepancy was made. Finally, the role of water in influencing both band positions and broadness appears to have been neglected in interpreting spectra of water-soluble inorganic compounds and this will be discussed here.