Standard chromium

Urine Sample spiked with standard chromium (standard addition) GFAAS 0.03-0.04 pg/L No data Veillon et al. 1982... 

Arizona Drinking water quality— Chromium standards guideline 50 pg/L 120 pg/L FSTRAC 1995... 

Tris (l-phenyl-l,3-butanediono) chromium (III) NBS No. 1078 ca. 9.6% chromium, for preparation of organo-chromium standard solution. 

Reagents The chemicals used were nitric acid 65% (Suprapur from Merck), Triton X-100 (from Fluka), ultrapure water (ASTM type 1), argon (99.998%), and chromium standard containing 0.1 g chromium supplied as potassium dichromate (Fixanal from Riedel-de Haen). 

BackTitrations. In the performance of aback titration, a known, but excess quantity of EDTA or other chelon is added, the pH is now properly adjusted, and the excess of the chelon is titrated with a suitable standard metal salt solution. Back titration procedures are especially useful when the metal ion to be determined cannot be kept in solution under the titration conditions or where the reaction of the metal ion with the chelon occurs too slowly to permit a direct titration, as in the titration of chromium(III) with EDTA. Back titration procedures sometimes permit a metal ion to be determined by the use of a metal indicator that is blocked by that ion in a direct titration. Eor example, nickel, cobalt, or aluminum form such stable complexes with Eriochrome Black T that the direct titration would fail. However, if an excess of EDTA is added before the indicator, no blocking occurs in the back titration with a magnesium or zinc salt solution. These metal ion titrants are chosen because they form EDTA complexes of relatively low stability, thereby avoiding the possible titration of EDTA bound by the sample metal ion. 

Standard Wrought Steels. Steels containing 11% and more of chromium are classed as stainless steels. The prime characteristics are corrosion and oxidation resistance, which increase as the chromium content is increased. Three groups of wrought stainless steels, series 200, 300, and 400, have composition limits that have been standardized by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AlSl) (see Steel). Figure 8 compares the creep—mpture strengths of the standard austenitic stainless steels that are most commonly used at elevated temperatures (35). Compositions of these steels are Hsted in Table 3. 

Preparation and chemistry of chromium compounds can be found ia several standard reference books and advanced texts (7,11,12,14). Standard reduction potentials for select chromium species are given ia Table 2 whereas Table 3 is a summary of hydrolysis, complex formation, or other equilibrium constants for oxidation states II, III, and VI. 

Table 2. Standard Reduction Potentials for Chromium Species ...

Wet-Chemical Determinations. Both water-soluble and prepared insoluble samples must be treated to ensure that all the chromium is present as Cr(VI). For water-soluble Cr(III) compounds, the oxidation is easily accompHshed using dilute sodium hydroxide, dilute hydrogen peroxide, and heat. Any excess peroxide can be destroyed by adding a catalyst and boiling the alkaline solution for a short time (101). Appropriate ahquot portions of the samples are acidified and chromium is found by titration either using a standard ferrous solution or a standard thiosulfate solution after addition of potassium iodide to generate an iodine equivalent. The ferrous endpoint is found either potentiometricaHy or by visual indicators, such as ferroin, a complex of iron(II) and o-phenanthroline, and the thiosulfate endpoint is ascertained using starch as an indicator. 

Instrumental Quantitative Analysis. Methods such as x-ray spectroscopy, oaes, and naa do not necessarily require pretreatment of samples to soluble forms. Only reUable and verified standards are needed. Other instmmental methods that can be used to determine a wide range of chromium concentrations are atomic absorption spectroscopy (aas), flame photometry, icap-aes, and direct current plasma—atomic emission spectroscopy (dcp-aes). These methods caimot distinguish the oxidation states of chromium, and speciation at trace levels usually requires a previous wet-chemical separation. However, the instmmental methods are preferred over (3)-diphenylcarbazide for trace chromium concentrations, because of the difficulty of oxidizing very small quantities of Cr(III). 

Workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) has estabUshed workplace permissible exposure limits (PEL) for chromium metal and three forms of chromium compounds. OSHA s PEL for chromic acid and chromates is 0.1 mg/m 3 both a ceiling, ie, no exposure above this concentration is allowed, and an 8-h time-weighted average (TWA). Chromium metal and insoluble chromium salts have an 8-h TWA PEL of 1.0 mg/m Cr, and the same standard is 0.5 mg/m Cr for soluble Cr(III) and Cr(II) compounds (144). 

Reagent-Grade Chemicals. Potassium dichromate is an important analytical standard, and other chromium chemicals, in reagent grades, find considerable laboratory use (90,91). This use, though small, is most important in wet analyses. 

ANSI/ADA specification no. 14 provides a requirement for removable partial dentures of a combined minimum of 85% by weight of chromium, cobalt, and nickel or, for alloys failing to meet that minimum, at least 20% chromium. Bio-compatibiUty is demonstrated by passing the pertinent criteria of ANSI/ADA specification no. 41, Recommended Standard Practices for Biological Evaluation of Dental Materials. 

Standard practices for chromium plating (93) and specifications for hard chromium (94) and decorative chromium (89) have been pubHshed. 

A.STM B650, Standard Specification for Engineering Chromium Coatings on Ferrous SuhstrateSs American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, Pa, 1985. 

Stainless Steel There are more than 70 standard types of stainless steel and many special alloys. These steels are produced in the wrought form (AISI types) and as cast alloys [Alloy Casting Institute (ACI) types]. Gener y, all are iron-based, with 12 to 30 percent chromium, 0 to 22 percent nickel, and minor amounts of carbon, niobium (columbium), copper, molybdenum, selenium, tantalum, and titanium. These alloys are veiy popular in the process industries. They are heat- and corrosion-resistant, noncontaminating, and easily fabricated into complex shapes. 

Ferritic stainless contains 15 to 30 percent Cr, with low carbon content (0.1 percent). The higher chromium content improves its corrosive resistance. Type 430 is a typical example. The strength of ferritic stainless can be increased by cold working but not by heat treatment. Fairly ductile ferritic grades can be fabricated by all standard methods. They are fairly easy to machine. Welding is not a problem, although it requires skilled operators. 

EPA, 1993. U.S. EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, "Chromium Emissions from Chromium Electroplating and Chromic Acid Anodizing Operations Background Information for Proposed Standards," EPA-453[R-93-030a, Research Triangle Park, NC, July 1993. 

---