Volatilization of methyl borate in iron matrix. Determination of boron in steel by ICP atomic emission spectrometry.
A rapid and reliable method for the determination of boron by ICP-AES in steels is described. The procedure is based on a discontinuous generation of methyl borate, in concentrated sulphuric acid and phosphoric acid medium, after injecting 45 microl of methanol in 20 microl of sample. The gaseous methyl borate and excess methanol are fed into the ICP torch via the intermediate tube by a flow of 430 ml/min Ar carrier gas, without disturbing the discharge. This work simplifies drastically the existing methodology of boron analysis in steels. Acid-soluble boron has been determined, but acid-insoluble boron can also be determined. The determination is carried out without iron interferences, with a reproducibility of 1.90% r.s.d. for a concentration of 20 microg/ml, and an absolute detection limit of 20 ng of total boron, working with a solution volume of 20 microl.
Lopez Molinero
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Department of Analytical Chemistry, Sciences Faculty, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
Ferrer
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Castillo
J R
JR