Sample preparation with microwave. Experiences in the environmental- and industrial analytics laboratory of Voest Alpine (P1)

Full text: Since around one and a half year two microwave sample preparation units tested and used in the environmental- and industrial analytics laboratory of Voest Alpine. On basis of the experiences the technique offered good results for the specific applications in a steel company. In comparison with the traditional sample preparation of iron oxides for ICP-OES determination through an open vessel wet-chemical acid pulping sample preparation with closed vessel microwave digestion got a large quantity of advantages. The problem with simultaneously sample preparation and determination of silica and other compounds in ultra-pure iron oxides could be solved. We obtained an excellent recovery and reproducibility with microwave pulping. In the range of environmental analytics the possibilities of microwave sample preparation to prepare typical dusts, landfill wastes, process and waste water of a steel company was analyzed. The microwave sample preparation showed good reproducibility to the conventional techniques, e.g. pulping and Soxleth-extraction. Someone of them are already replaced by the new method. Here also the microwave technique possess a large potential for more uses. (author)