Fast Survey Analysis of Gold Alloys by Means of a Spark Emission Spectrometer and Multivariate Calibration

Abstract

The determination of gold, silver, copper, zinc, nickel and palladium in gold alloys was carried out by means of a spark emission spectrometer. The emission spectra were evaluated with different calibration methods. Characteristic spectral lines of all elements were selected and the available reference materials were separated into three groups corresponding to their concentration of gold. After optimization of the operating parameters, the calibration function was calculated using only one spectral line of each spectrum. RSD of about 1–5% m/m were calculated, which are in the range of those for other commercially available spark emission spectrometers. The long term stability showed RSDs values lower than 5% m/m. The same spectra as analysed above were evaluated using multivariate calibration functions. With this technique RSD values of the model of about 1–3% m/m were obtained.