ICPOES and SEM-EDX analysis of metal fibers

Full text: Composition of metal fiber is important because it influences mechanical, chemical and physical properties of materials. Metal fibers are present in clothing but also in different composites used for manufacturing concrete, strings, airplanes, space crafts and other items. In this work results of direct analysis of solid samples by scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive x-ray analysis system (SEM-EDX) and results obtained by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICPOES) after solid samples dissolution in acidic solutions are presented. ICPOES offered lower LOD and better precision, while SEM-EDX provided important information about the sample layer compositions. (author)