At pH 9.5 nickel reacts with 2-(6-bromo-2-benzothiazolylazo)-5 diethylamino-phenol (Br-BTAE) in the presence of Tween-80 and sodium lauryl sulfate to form a red-violet complex which has an absorption maximum at 540 nm (e 2.5X10^5). Though this is also the absorption maximum of the reagent, yet the reagent will readily decompose at 40-50`C within 20 min. The reagent blank is low and the error is negligible. Beer's law is obeyed for 0.01-0.125 \mγ nickel in a 1mL solution. The composition of the complex was found to be Ni/Br-BTAE=1:2 by the continuous-variation method. This method can be applied to the determination of nickel in electroplating waste-water and in copper-aluminium alloy and steel samples after extraction with dimethylglyoxime. The results of the analysis agree with that from AAS and dimethylglyoxime method

Key words: SPECTROPHOTOMETRY, PHENOL P, ORGANO BROMINE COMPOUNDS, NICKEL, COLOUR REAGENTS, THIAZOLE-AZO COMPOUNDS, DIETHYLAMINE P, BENZOTHIAZOLE P