Standards Development

Scope

This document describes the criteria and the procedure for analysing aluminium and aluminium alloys with spark optical emission spectrometry (S-OES). This document specifies the following:

— sample preparation;

— operational guidelines for an optical emission spectrometer (including maintenance);

— traceability of the analytical results to the International System of units: mass (kg);

— assessing the uncertainty associated with each analytical result.

This document refers to simultaneous spark emission spectrometers for the analysis of solid samples.

This document applies to the determination of silicon, iron, copper, manganese, magnesium, chromium, nickel, zinc, titanium, boron, gallium, vanadium, beryllium, bismuth, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, lithium, sodium, phosphorus, lead, antimony, tin, strontium and zirconium in aluminium and aluminium alloys.

This document is applicable to the determination of elements other than those listed above with the following conditions:

a) suitable reference materials are available; and

b) the instrument is suitably calibrated and equipped.

The test result obtained from a spark optical emission spectrometer generally concerns an amount of less than one milligram per spark spot. The result can be used to refer to the laboratory test sample, to the aluminium or aluminium alloy melt or to the cast product.