Study of X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and spark ablation inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry for chromium determination in ferrochromium from bulk metal samples

Abstract

A study of chromium determination in ferrochromium by X-ray fluorescence and spark ablation inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry was made. Bulk test samples were prepared by re-melting the ferroalloy diluted with iron in an induction furnace. Calibration samples were obtained from an industrial ferroalloy, using different FeCr + Fe dilution ratios, in order to cover the chromium concentration range that is probably present in these materials. A study is presented of the influence of the carbon contents on Cr Kcu line intensities and on the amount of spark aerosol produced, as well methods of compensating for the effect. The total variance and the average instrumental variation were calculated from the values obtained for samples with the same chromium concentration and variable carbon contents. The criterion applied to test the agreement of the two methods showed that the difference between the results provided by both techniques can be explained by random errors. Accuracies were tested by analysing a series of ferrochromium reference materials.

Spark Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Applied to the Semi-Quantitative Panoramic Analysis of Ferroalloys

“…As part of continuing research work on spark ablation ICP applied to steel industry products, the technique was used as a rapid system for the semi-quantitative analysis of ferroalloys. In previous works 13,14 SA-ICP-AES (atomic emission spectroscopy) was applied to the analysis of Fe-V and Fe-Cr from remelted bulk m etal samples, to electrical arc furnace dusts from graphite pellets 15 and to low-alloyed steels; 16 SA-ICP-MS has recently been used for trace analysis in low-and high-alloy steels. 17 In this study a semi-quantitative SA-ICP-MS analysis protocol for powdered ferroalloys briquetted into pellets with graphite was developed to match sample matrix and conductivity.…”