The determination of trace amounts of calcium in stainless steels by solvent extraction followed by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry

Abstract

A method is described for the atomic-absorption spectrophotometric determination of 2 to 60 µg g^–1 of calcium in stainless steels after solvent extraction of most of the iron, chromium and nickel with acetylacetone and pyridine. For thirteen B.C.S. steels, the calcium contents varied from 4 to 51 µg g^–1. The standard deviation in the errors from the means for the various steels (fifty-eight determinations) was 1·4 µg g^–1. The results of applying the solvent-extraction procedure to twenty-five other elements of interest to the steelmaker are also reported.