X-Ray Spectrographic Determination of Tantalum, Columbium, Iron, and Titanium Oxide Mixtures Using Simple Arithmetic Corrections for Inter element Effects

Abstract

AbstractA method of specific arithmetic corrections for absorption and enhancement interelement effects has been developed, with particular reference to the quantitative determination of mixtures of tantalum, columbium, iron, and titanium oxides. The combined oxides of these elements are prepared chemically from liquid, powder, or metallic samples; weight percantages are determined by reference to calibration and intensity correction curves relating fluorescent intensity to concentration and sample matrix. Tantalum, columbium, iron, or titanium oxide from 0.01 to 100% concentration can be determined with a reproducibility of 1% of the amount present at the 50% concentration and 10% of the amount present at the 1 or 0, 1% level. X-ray analytical time required averages less than 10 minutes per determination. The corrections which have been established are universally applicable to combinations of these four oxides which may be obtained by chemical treatment from such materials as columbite or tantalite ores, tantalum or columbium metalSj and titanium alloys. The method of arithmetic corrections for interelement effects is general in nature and may be applied to the determination of other elements in complex matrices.