Analysis of Impurities in Lead
Sponsored by PerkinElmerFeb 19 2021
Lead (Pb) is extremely toxic to living organisms, prompting this element to be phased out of an array of products.
However, Pb is still frequently employed in a number of applications, most notably alloys, lead-acid batteries, radiation shielding, ammunition, flashing in the construction industry and as lining in industrial pipes and baths designed to carry corrosive substances.
To accommodate this wide range of uses, an equally wide range of grades and purity levels of lead are produced. The London Metal Exchange is responsible for issuing specifications for an array of different metals in several grades.
Analysis of Impurities in Gold
Sponsored by PerkinElmerFeb 19 2021
Gold (Au) is able to be easily formed into a variety of shapes (such as thin sheets and wires or intricate shapes), can conduct electricity and is resistant to corrosion, a unique combination of characteristics that make it one of the most useful metals on earth, besides one of the most precious.
The versatility of this material means that it is often used in wide-ranging uses, from ornamental decorations, jewelry and artwork to aerospace, machine/dentistry, electronics and currency.
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Not all uses of gold require the same purities, and the price of the material is highly dependent on its level of impurity. In order to address this, ASTM has developed B562-95: Standard Specification for Refined Gold, which are specifications for various purities of refined gold.
Resolving Difficult Interferences in Metallurgical Samples
Sponsored by PerkinElmerFeb 18 2021
ICP-OES is frequently employed in the determination of trace elements in metallurgical matrices due to its ability to accommodate high levels of dissolved solids with no need to utilize matrix separation schemes or special sample introduction components.
Because sample preparation does not require large dilution factors, analyte levels introduced to the instrument will not be significantly impacted by dilutions.
Despite these notable benefits, spectral interferences may pose a particular challenge when using ICP-OES for the analysis of trace metals in metallurgical matrices. A large number of elements display many emission lines; for example, iron has approximately 20,000.