The determination of oxygen in copper alloys

It is clear that processes of this type have only an extremely low level of efficiency and reliability. 

The first comprehensive investigations using reducing fusion were published by Kraft and Kahles (88), employing the argon carrier gas method. 

In principle, the determination of oxygen in alloys of this type can be carried out in the same way as in unalloyed copper. No interfering side-effects have been observed. However, the vaporization of metals which takes place produces considerable contamination of the apparatus, which requires tedious cleaning processes after each analysis. 

This makes it preferable to employ a modified analytical procedure, in which the readily volatile components are first removed by vacuum distillation before the actual analysis. Depending on its composition, the copper residue is then analysed either in the same way as unalloyed copper or, if further non-volatile alloy components are still present, in the same way as alloys of this type. 

Kraft and Kahles (89) found the following procedure to be very reliable for the analysis of brass  

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Table VII-5 Analyses carried out to test the determination of oxygen in copper alloys...

Hydrogen reduction is probably only suitable for the determination of oxygen in copper alloys in special cases. It is limited to alloys containing no alloying components or impurities which form oxides that cannot be reduced with hydrogen. Initial work in this field has been carried out by Hofmann and Schneider (93), who were able to analyse lead bronzes and tin bronzes successfully. 

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