Filtern
Dokumenttyp
Sprache
- Englisch (9)
Schlagworte
- Atomic-absorption spectrophotometry (1)
- Boron carbide (1)
- CCQM (1)
- Cast iron (1)
- Certification (1)
- Certified reference material (1)
- Classical primary measurement method (CPM) (1)
- Copper (1)
- DC-Arc (1)
- ERM (1)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
The certification of a boron carbide reference material for chemical composition is described. The mass fractions of 16 elements and two boron species are certified in an international interlaboratory comparison with 35 participating laboratories from six different countries. Beside chemical characterization the certification process includes homogeneity and stability testing of the candidate material boron carbide (type F360, 305M422). Details of the analytical methods used for chemical characterization and of the calculation of the uncertainties of the certified mass fractions are given. The new reference material ERM®-ED102 with certified mass fractions of 18 parameters (elements and species) and of the amount fraction of the isotope 10B is a valuable tool for laboratories working in the field of advanced ceramic materials analysis to improve their analytical results.
A candidate material for the use as primary standard for silver determination was characterized with respect to total purity. Except the radioactive elements and He, all possible impurities were considered. Based on glow discharge mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and carrier gas hot extraction measurements, the demonstrated total purity and its standard uncertainty is w(Ag) = (99.999 52 ± 0.000 11) %. The purity value and its uncertainty is dominated by the contributions from the measurements of the nonmetallic impurities, namely S, N, C and O.
Inspired by the globule arc technique a new electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ETV-ICP OES) method was developed for the analysis of high-purity copper materials. The performance of the method was investigated for the analytes Ag, Al, As, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Se, Si, Sn, Te, Ti, Zn and Zr. ETV parameters were optimized regarding the release of the analytes, the transport efficiency and the quality of analytical results in terms of precision, trueness and power of detection. The influence of CCl2F2, CHClF2, C2H2F4 and CHF3 as gaseous halogenation modifiers was investigated. A sufficient in situ analyte matrix separation was achieved by using CHF3 as halogenating reagent avoiding a high matrix input from the molten copper sample into the ETV system and the plasma. A complete release from the samples was obtained for all investigated analytes except Se and Te. Acceptable results for the determination of the trace elements Ag, Al, As, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Si, Sn, Ti, Zn and Zr in high-purity copper were achieved. The method includes a preceding sample preparation step of oxidizing the surface of copper samples which results in a significantly enhanced sensitivity. In addition to the calibration with copper samples, the feasibility of the calibration with liquid multi-element solutions was investigated. Except for Ag, Mg and Ni all analytes could be analyzed using aqueous calibration solutions. The trueness of the method was tested by the determination of analyte contents of certified reference materials. Limits of quantification ranging from 0.6 ng g-1 to 29 ng g-1 were achieved. The developed direct solid sampling method is time and cost effective and well suited for the characterization of high-purity copper materials. The method can be automated to a large extent and is applicable for processes accompanying analyses. In contrast to all other investigated trace elements, Se and Te were not released from the matrix at measurable levels under the used conditions. The determination of these elements is still under investigation and will be reported in a succeeding publication.
A magnetically stabilized DC arc device, designed for operation with OES spectrometers was used to determine the elements Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, In, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, Si, Sn, Sr, Ti, V, Zr at trace levels of some μg kg−1 up to some 10 mg kg−1 in graphite powders. The coil for the generation of the homogeneous magnetic field was placed outside the closed arc chamber. The time programs of variable current strengths of the magnetic coil (up to 6 A) and of the arc (up to 17 A) which was burning in air were computer controlled. Halogenating gases (mainly CCl2F2, alternatively SF6 and NF3) were used as chemical modifiers to allow an effective release of the carbide forming trace elements. The mass flow controlled modifier gas was led through a special carrier electrode near the arc plasma. The emission radiation was guided by an optical fiber alternatively into two different ICP spectrometers in which the ICP torches were removed. The synergistic interaction of the magnetic field with the halogenating modifier gases resulted in a significant improvement in the analytical performance of the optimized analytical method. All our results for 22 trace elements were in good agreement with the means of an inter-laboratory comparison by BAM for certification of a pure graphite powder material; this holds also for our results for two other graphite materials. The optimized method showed an analytical performance suitable for comprehensive trace analysis of pure graphite. The instrumentation could be integrated into modern DC arc emission spectrometers to improve their analytical capabilities substantially.
In supplementary work to the one published earlier, experiments with SF6, NF3, CF4 and H2 as new modifier gases for the matrix studied were performed. Our investigations were continued to improve the described analytical method and to achieve additional insights into the mechanism of analyte release. Our new survey is split in two parts. At first fluorinating modifiers were used to investigate the behaviour of a variety of trace elements (Ag, Al, As, Au, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, P, Pb, Sb, Se, Si, Sn, Te, Ti, Zn and Zr). Most of them (exceptions Au, Se, and Te) could be effectively released from the copper matrix by thermo-halogenation reactions and by partial sub-sample evaporation. Using SF6 and NF3 as modifier gases, low limits of quantification (LOQs) were achieved for the 19 well released trace elements (typical ≤0.1 mg kg-1). Most elements (exceptions Ag, Mg, and Ni) could be calibrated by using aqueous calibration solutions without any sample pretreatment. For the trace determination of Se, Te, and Au, a further analytical method of ETV-ICP OES is described in the second part based on thermo-hydrogenation reactions by using a hydrogen/argon mixture as a modifier gas. The determination of Se and Te with very high analytical performance (LOQ < 0.1 mg kg-1) can either be carried out in a second analytical step succeeding the halogenation procedure, or the sub-sample is directly treated with H2 without previous halogenation procedure whereby the sub-sample can either be partially or totally evaporated. In this case some other analytes (Ag, Au, As, Bi, Cd, Fe, Mg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, and Zn) can additionally be quantified simultaneously with Se and Te.
Within the Working Group on Inorganic Analysis (IAWG) of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance: Metrology in Chemistry and Biology (CCQM) international key comparisons and pilot studies related to inorganic analysis are carried to ensure consistency in this field at the highest level. Some of these comparisons deal directly with the preparation and characterization of monoelemental solutions or with topics, closely related. The importance of monoelemental solutions lies in the fact that almost every measurement in inorganic analysis relies on the comparison with either a reference material, or references in form of solutions, usually (mono)elemental solutions. All quantitative measurement approaches, e.g. isotope dilution or standard addition, need an accurate reference solution made from a well characterized reference material, prepared under full gravimetric control. These primary (monoelemental) solutions do not only serve as arbitrary references/calibration solutions, but they also link up measurement results to the International System of units (SI), this way establishing the so-called metrological traceability to a measurement unit of the SI. Without such solutions on the highest possible level of accuracy and with the smallest possible associated uncertainties (for e.g. element content and/or impurities), an analysis itself can never be as good as it could be with appropriate reference solutions. This article highlights select key comparisons and pilot studies dealing with monoelemental solution related topics within the IAWG from the foundation of CCQM – 25 years ago – up to latest achievements in the field of inorganic analysis.
During its 25 years of existence, the Inorganic Analysis Working Group of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance: Metrology in Chemistry and Biology (CCQM IAWG) has achieved much in establishing comparability of measurement results. Impressive work has been done on comparison exercises related to real-world problems in fields such as ecology, food, or health. In more recent attempts, measurements and comparisons were focused on calibration solutions which are the basis of most inorganic chemical measurements. This contribution deals with the question of how to achieve full and transparent SI traceability for the values carried by such solutions. Within this framework, the use of classical primary methods (CPMs) is compared to the use of a primary difference method (PDM). PDM is a method with a dual character, namely a metrological method with a primary character, based on the bundling of many measurement methods for individual impurities, which lead to materials with certified content of the main component. As in classical methods, where small corrections for interferences are accepted, in PDM, many small corrections are bundled. In contrast to classical methods, the PDM is universally applicable to all elements in principle. Both approaches can be used to certify the purity (expressed as mass fraction of the main element) of a high-purity material. This is where the metrological need of National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) for analytical methods meet the challenges of analytical methods. In terms of methods, glow discharge mass spectrometry (GMDS) with sufficient uncertainties for sufficiently small impurity contents is particularly noteworthy for the certification of primary transfer standards (PTS), and isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS), which particularly benefits from PTS (back-spikes) with small uncertainties, is particularly noteworthy for the application. The corresponding relative uncertainty which can be achieved using the PDM is very low (< 10−4). Acting as PTS, they represent the link between the material aspect of the primary calibration solutions and the immaterial world of the International System of Units (SI). The underlying concepts are discussed, the current status of implementation is summarised, and a roadmap of the necessary future activities in inorganic analytical chemistry is sketched. It has to be noted that smaller measurement uncertainties of the purity of high-purity materials not only have a positive effect on chemical measurements, but also trigger new developments and findings in other disciplines such as thermometry or materials science.