I am an undergraduate BS chemistry student who is working on a slow-release nano fertilizer, how should I treat my leached samples for each time interval; that is do I employ the Kjeldahl method for each leached sample?
The Kjeldahl method consists in the procedure of catalytically supported mineralization of organic material in a boiling mixture of sulfuric acid and sulfate salt at decomposition temperatures above 400°C. During the process, organically bound nitrogen is converted to ammonium sulfate. Alkalization of the mineralized solution releases ammonia, which is quantitatively distilled with steam and determined by titration.
Your nano-fertilizer is coated with a polymer film. It should not retain nitrogen and should decompose well under these conditions. the technique may depend on this film.
But I do plan to use an inorganic coating such as hydroxyapatite, in that case, would the Kjeldahl method still be suitable?
We don't have an automatic Kjeldahl analyzer in my university laboratory, hence I thought it would be time-consuming and prone to error if I titrate my way to it.
Could you recommend other spectroscopic methods to analyze the leached nitrogen from the soil leaching column?