The direct determination of calcium in zirconium and Zircaloy-2 by flame-emission spectrophotometry with the nitrous oxide-acetylene flame

Abstract

A method is proposed for the direct determination of calcium impurities in nuclear-grade zirconium and Zircaloy-2 by flame-emission spectrophotometry with the nitrous oxide-acetylene flame. Because chemical manipulations are limited to the dissolution of the sample, the method is very simple and rapid, and it gives a precision that compares favourably with that of other available methods. By the method described, 6 to 20 p.p.m. of calcium in zirconium and Zircaloy-2 have been determined with standard deviations ranging from 0·8 to 1·8 p.p.m.

The spectral interference from zirconium, the choice of instrumental conditions and the procedures for zirconium background correction are discussed.