Micro-Analysis of Metals by Optical Emission Spectroscopy

Abstract

The status of metallurgical micro-sampling and analysis is reviewed. Spectroscopic detectabilities for several metallic elements are found to be of the order of I × 10−9 gram when employing a quartz Littrow spectrograph together with arc excitation and Eastman 103-O emulsion. Techniques are described for the removal and identification of milli-microgram quantities of metallic constituents by means of drills as small as 6 3 microns diameter.

Ferrous Metallurgy

“…Carbon (8, 41,62, 67-8, 198-9, 234,241) and phosphorus (143) determinations with the spectrograph received much attention. Trace elements (4, 24, 138, 140, 214) and lead in steel, iron ores, pyrites cinders (255), and ferromanganese (266-7) were determined. Arsenic, antimony, copper, and zinc in ferromanganese, impurities in ferrochrome (110) and ferroniobium (219) were also determined.…”

Emission Spectroscopy

“…(14S) compares excitation sources and procedures for local spectral analysis for various elements possibly including the gases. Runge and Bryan (220) de-scribe a microtechnique in which the microsample is removed by drills as small as 6.3 microns in diameter.…”