Plasma-Arc Studies for Alloy Analysis

Abstract

An evaluation of the plasma-arc spectrochemical technique for alloy analysis was made. Matrix effects were studied and found to be present at all concentrations investigated, but were not significant enough to preclude the use of one set of standards for any one particular base metal. The application of the technique for the analysis of aluminum, iron, nickel, and possibly cobalt base alloys has been demonstrated using identical operating conditions and with only three sets of standards. Tungsten was determined with a graphite cap covering the plasma's tungsten transfer electrode to prevent spectral lines from this source. The maintenance required by the nebulizer is the main disadvantage of the technique.

Emission spectrometry

“…A thesis by Bedrosian (40) was concerned with the effects of acids and surfactants on the analysis of solutions from plant tissues by the graphite spark method. Muntz (425) studied the analysis of alloys with the plasma jet, and concluded that maintenance of the nebulizer is the most serious problem with this source. Birks (47) summarized methods and results in the analysis of the actinide elements, including the problem of containment of radioactive materials, the merits of different excitation sources, and line interferences.…”