The determination of oxygen in lead alloys

Basically, the same limitations as for the determination of oxygen in aluminium or copper alloys apply to this analysis  

Fortunately, except for interference caused by sulphur, these limitations only apply exceptionally in practice, since most lead alloys only contain low concentrations of the components in question. 

A lead-antimony alloy containing about 11 % antimony was investigated in detail in joint researches coordinated by Eurisotop (107). It was found that, as in the case of unalloyed lead, it was possible to use not only inert gas and vacuum fusion, but also hydrogen reduction on a macro or micro scale (for details of methods see Section 1.5). A comparison with activation analysis showed no significant differences between the results obtained with these processes and those obtained by chemical methods, which means that the latter were not subject to any systematic errors. 

The same applies to reducing fusion in the case of cable lead alloys of the PbSnCd and PbCuTe types (108). 

It has also been shown by the ELDC (109) that the vacuum method (1350-1400°C) can be used in the case of the PbSnCd alloy. 

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