High-purity copper analysis

A semi-quantitative multi-element analysis - limited in accuracy and precision - is performed in solid-state mass spectrometry if the concentration of at least one element - used as an internal standard element - is known. For example, if trace impurities have to be analyzed in high purity copper metal, then Cu with a known concentration of 100% is chosen as the internal... 

Pattberg, S., and Matschat, R. (1999). Determination of trace impurities in high purity copper using sector-field ICP-MS Continuous nebulization, flow injection analysis and laser ablation. Presenius J. Anal. Chem. 364(5), 410. 

Another electrochemical way to separate the analyte from the matrix that has been described is electrolytic deposition of the matrix elements on a mercury cathode in the presence of low sulfuric acid concentrations. Once the matrix is separated, the solution is carried to the spectrometer and elements are determined. This procedure is especially useful for the analysis of alloys, because elements such as rare earth elements can be easily separated from iron, chromium, nickel, copper, etc. For the analysis of steel samples, this method provides limits of quantification 10 times better than direct analysis, without the need for matrix matching. Recently, an FI electrolytic dissolution procedure has been reported for the treatment of metallic (i.e. high-purity copper) samples, the specimen acting as the anode of an electrodissolution ceU. ... 

M. Cuypers, Systematic analysis of high purity copper, following its irradiation by thermal neutrons, Ann. Chim. Paris) 9, 509-540 (1964). 

Today, as a direct solid-state analytical technique, dc GDMS is more frequently applied for multi-element determination of trace contaminants, mostly of high purity metallic bulk samples (or of alloys) especially for process control in industrial laboratories. The capability of GDMS in comparison to GD-OES (glow discharge optical emission spectrometry) is demonstrated in a round robin test for trace and ultratrace analysis on pure copper materials.17 All mass spectrometric laboratories in this round robin test used the GDMS VG 9000 as the instrument, but for several... 

USAL has also been used in the determination of trace impurities in high-purity materials. This type of analysis is mandatory with a view to controlling their quality and studying the synergistic action of, and correlation with, impurities. The accuracy and precision of the analytical results depend strongly on the particular separation procedure used before the determination step, as shown in the multi-element quantitative USAL of impurities such as iron, copper, lead and bismuth in high-purity silver metal. For this purpose, a silver sample was dissolved in nitric acid and treated with chloride, after which the solution was evaporated to dryness and the impurities were redistributed on the surfaces or in the interstitial spaces of agglomerates of matrix crystals. Then, the impurities were leached into 0.1 M nitric acid with the aid of ultrasonic irradiation [91]. 

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