Spectrochemical Method for the Analysis of Miscellaneous Materials

Abstract

A spectrochemical method was developed for the analysis of solid waste products and other miscellaneous inorganic materials. Copper oxide and graphite are employed as diluents, and excitation is by means of a sustaining ac arc in a controlled atmosphere for the determination of minor and trace elements. A complementary procedure using spark excitation of a rotating pellet prepared from the same material as used for the arc method provides for the determination of major constituent elements. Relative standard deviations are about ±10% and the accuracy is in the same range. The methods have been successfully applied to the analysis of iron and steel, aluminum, zinc, lead, and copper alloys, fly ash, fume deposits, and silicates.