The IV Line News from the Lab
Inorganic Ventures' E-newsletter  •  Spring 2005  •  inorganicventures.com
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In this issue...
 News from the Lab  Articles Online
 Analytical Quick Tip  IV Line Humor
 A Closer Look at Quartz

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News from the Lab
A complete line of AA standards at IV

More for Atomic Absorption
Now a complete line of AA Standards at IV
We've expanded our line of AA Standards to include the full range single-element solutions. Now you can get all of your AA solutions from a single, reliable source.

View our product listings for details.

Analytical Quick Tip

When working with standards, NEVER put solution transfer devices into the standard solution. This precaution avoids possible contamination from the pipette or transfer device.

A Closer Look at Quartz

Quartz is a popular material for apparatuses used in trace elemental analysis. There are two types of quartz: 1) opaque and 2) transparent.

Opaque quartz has the highest trace element concentration and should not be used for trace analysis.

Transparent quartz (types I and II) are made from naturally occurring quartz crystals or sands. Type I is made by electric melting and type II by flame melting. Type II has slightly less impurities than type I (some impurities are volatilized by the flame). Type III quartz is made synthetically by vapor phase hydrolysis of pure silicon compounds such as SiCl4. This type of quartz is more pure than the natural quartz with the exception of Cl - which is ~ 50 ppm. Type IV quartz is synthetically made from SiCl4 using a process involving electrical fusion of the oxidized staring material. It is as pure as type III, with respect to trace metal content, and contains much more Cl-. Use synthetic quartz whenever possible.

The following figure demonstrates how quartz is the cleanest of all sample container materials that can withstand typical ashing temperatures (T > 400 °C).

Container Materials in order of Increasing Impurites1

Polyethylene - Low density (free radical initiated)

Fluorocarbons - (i.e. - Teflon, Tefzel, Halar, Kel-F)

Quartz - Synthetic

Polyethylene - High density

Quartz - Natural

Platinum

Borosilicate

1. T. Murphy, National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 422, "Accuracy in Trace Analysis: Sampling, Sample Handling, and Analysis", Proceedings of the 7th IMR Symposium.

Articles Online  more articles »

Sample Introduction for ICP-MS and ICP-OES
The popular cover article for January's Spectroscopy is now available online. Get tips and guidance for ICP sample introduction systems.

Dissolution of Si in Metals
Dr. Gaines discusses dissolution techniques for Si concentrations above 1% in metals.

Two Methods for Certification
Dr. Gaines explains the benefits of using two independent method for the certification of a CRM.

IV Line Humor  more humor »

Q:  What kind of ghosts haunt chemistry faculties?

A:  Methylated spirits.
Elemental Spotlight
Sodium

Analytical Periodic Table

Storage & Handling:  Keep tightly sealed when not in use. Store and use at 20 ± 4°C. Do not pipet from container. Do not return portions removed for pipetting to container.

Chemical Compatibility:  Soluble in HCl, HNO3, H2SO4 and HF aqueous matrices. Stable with all metals and inorganic anions.

Stability:  2-100 ppb levels stable for months in 1% HNO3 / LDPE container. 1-10,000 ppm solutions chemically stable for years in 1-5% HNO3 / LDPE container.

Na Containing Samples (Preparation & Solution):  Metal (dissolves very rapidly in water); Ores (lithium carbonate fusion in graphite crucible followed by HCl dissolution - blank levels of Na in lithium carbonate critical); Organic Matrices (sulfuric / peroxide digestion or nitric / sulfuric / perchloric acid decomposition).

Excerpt from Inorganic Venture's Analytical Periodic Table: Includes detailed analytical data for more than 70 elements.
 
Elemental Wordplay
Rearrange the elemental symbols to solve the riddle. Clues appear in quotes.

The perfect companion to "crimson", what do you get when you combine...

    - Oxygen
    - Erbium
    - Chlorine
    - and Vanadium.

(answer at bottom of page)
**********************************************************************************************************
 Wordplay answer:  Postage (Cl,O,V,Er)
 The IV Line · News from the Lab  · Spring 2005 (volume 13)
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