On the Application of Wave-Length-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry to Some Domestic and Foreign Standards for Metal Analysis

A review on the present status of application of wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (abbrev. as XRF) to some international standards (including ASTM, JIS, EN and GB of China) for metal analysis, with respect to their scope of application, number of elements to be determined with their concentration ranges of determination, and to the corrections of errors due to overlapping of spectra and matrix effects, and taking the application to analysis of iron and steel as example, was given in this paper. Three analytical standards were given by ASTM in the years from 2012 to 2016 for analysis of cast iron, low alloy steel, stainless steel and alloy steel covering the determination of 13 elements with their concentration ranges in accordance with their technical specifications. JIS promulgated a standard for XRF analysis of iron and steel in 1997 (and revised twice in 2010 and 2013), covering determination of 31 elements as major, mainor or trace components, and giving the upper limits of determination of (mass fraction) 99.5%, 50% and 60% for niskel iron and cobalt respectively, thus making it possible to be applied to the analysis of Ni-based, Fe-Ni based and Co-based alloys. Two GB standards were published in China in 2007 and 2018 for XRF analysis of iron and steel and of high alloy steel for determination of 13 and 11 elements in these 2 kinds of steel respectively, with concentration ranges of determination specified by their technical qualifications. Separate standards relating to corrections for spectra-overlapping and matrix effects were given by ASTM, while in JIS and GB standards, the respective contents were described in the related sections of the standards. Applications of XRF to the standards for analysis of metals and alloys other than iron and steel were also given briefly in the review (15 ref. cited).