Quantitative Analysis of Lead in Bismuth Bronze

Introduction

Some copper alloys are added with lead (Pb), but with the regulation of environmentally hazardous substances such as RoHS, it has been replaced by bismuth (Bi) in recent years. In X-ray fluorescence analysis, Bi interferes with Pb, that is, spectra overlap, so the quantitative accuracy of low content Pb may not be sufficient. In such cases, calibration curve method applying overlap correction by coexisting elements is effective. Metal samples are generally measured in the plane of cutting and polishing, but there are cases in which the samples are irregular shapes such as chips and wiring. For irregularly shaped samples with coexisting elements, shape correction is required in addition to the overlap correction described above. This article introduces an examination of the quantitative analysis precision when applying these corrections to a flat- surface sample and chip sample through a comparison with atomic absorption (AA) analysis.

November 1, 2017 GMT