Ceramics trace analysis

Small animals, for which parenteral blood collection is not possible, should be killed with tools made of plastic or ceramic. There are special tools (scissors) made from zirconium, ceramic or titanium ceramic for hair cutting that can also be used for trace analysis. 

Saprykin A. I., Becker J. S. and Dietze H. J. (1996) Optimization of an rf-powered magnetron glow discharge for the trace analysis of glasses and ceramics, Fresenius J Anal Chem 355 831-835. 

Chemical composition of key component determines the properties of the ceramics, while small quantities of other components will have significant effect on the processing and microstructural development of the materials. Low concentrations of dopants in the range of 0.1-10 at.% are usually used to enhance the sintering behavior and modify the microstructure. Trace impurity elements at concentrations less than a few hundred parts per million (ppm) are inevitably present even in the cleanest powders, which could also have significant effect, which has however often been overlooked. For lab-scale experiments of transparent ceramics, element analysis is generally not an indispensable step, because the main components and additives have aU been predesigned. 

Alternative methods are used where XRF fails, i.e., for elements below sodium in the periodic table, for volatile elements and precious metals not amenable to fusion, for liquids, and for some trace analyses. In the case of trace analysis (in ceramics <100pg per g), XRF meets the requirements for many elements even with a 5 1 flux/sample ratio, particularly for U, Th, Y, La, V, Rb, Cs, Ga, Ge, Ce, Nd, Pr, Sc, and Ni. 

For trace analysis, the main ceramic elements of interest are Zn, Pb, Cu, Bi, Sb, Sn, Ag, As, Mn, Cr, Se, and Hg. Many of these are environmentally important. In certain cases the detection limits of flame AAS are inadequate, so that hydride generation for antimony, selenium, arsenic and bismuth, cold vapor for mercury, and graphite furnace AAS for lead and cadmium are required. A variation of AAS is atomic fluorescence, and this is used to achieve the detection limits needed for Hg and Se in environmental samples. Microwave digestion techniques for sample preparation are becoming more common, where, unlike fusion, there is no risk of loss of volatile elements from unfired samples and fewer reagents are... 

ICP-AES is normally preferred for trace analysis because of its generally better detection limits, freedom from chemical matrix effects, and multi-element capability. When available, it is used instead of AAS. Like AAS, hydride and mercury vapor attachments can be used to enhance the detection limits of the elements listed above. As an alternative to normal sample preparation or microwave procedures, laser ablation is creeping in as an alternative approach. The same pressed discs used for XRE are ablated by an IR or UV laser in a chamber that replaces the spray chamber used normally. The sample preparation takes minutes rather than days or hours, eliminates reagents (even pure reagents are less pure than ceramic powders), and is less susceptible to external contamination. 

Chemical compositional studies of ceramics and obsidian samples Nd YAG213 nm ICP-Q-MS Quantitative trace analysis of ceramics and obsidian artifacts and comparison with other techniques James et al. [38]... 

Quantitative trace analysis of ceramic sherds for provenancing... 

Quantitative trace analysis of glazes and slips from Pueblo TV period ceramics... 

Multi-element trace analysis by LA-ICP-MS of high-purity metals, semiconductors and insulators (e.g. ceramics) is often limited by the lack of suitable SRMs of the same matrix composition. In addition, a significant number of trace element concentrations are not certified in the specific commercially available SRMs. 

Trace-element analysis of metals can give indications of the geographic provenance of the material. Both emission spectroscopy (84) and activation analysis (85) have been used for this purpose. Another tool in provenance studies is the measurement of relative abundances of the lead isotopes (86,87). This technique is not restricted to metals, but can be used on any material that contains lead. Finally, for an object cast around a ceramic core, a sample of the core material can be used for thermoluminescence dating. 

Trace-element analysis, using emission spectroscopy (107) and, especially, activation analysis (108) has been appHed in provenance studies on archaeological ceramics with revolutionary results. The attribution of a certain geographic origin for the clay of an object excavated elsewhere has a direct implication on past trade and exchange relationships. 

Microscopists in every technical field use the microscope to characterize, compare, and identify a wide variety of substances, eg, protozoa, bacteria, vimses, and plant and animal tissue, as well as minerals, building materials, ceramics, metals, abrasives, pigments, foods, dmgs, explosives, fibers, hairs, and even single atoms. In addition, microscopists help to solve production and process problems, control quaUty, and handle trouble-shooting problems and customer complaints. Microscopists also do basic research in instmmentation, new techniques, specimen preparation, and appHcations of microscopy. The areas of appHcation include forensic trace evidence, contamination analysis, art conservation and authentication, and asbestos control, among others. 

Chemical Analysis. The chemical composition of ancient objects is important for their authentication. The nature as well as the relative amounts of major, minor, and trace elements in any object are of use for determining the authenticity or otherwise of ceramics, glass, or alloys. A wide range of analytical techniques, depending on the nature of the material studied, have been used for this purpose, including X-rays fluorescence analysis, mass spectrometry, atomic absorption spectroscopy, and neutron activation analy-... 

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