ECISS/TC 102/WG 3 - Determination of environmentally sensitive elements in steel

This document specifies a flame atomic absorption spectrometric method for the determination of acid-soluble and/or total aluminium in non-alloyed steel.
The method is applicable to aluminium contents between 0,005 % (mass fraction) and 0,20 % (mass fraction).

This document specifies a flame atomic absorption spectrometric method (FAAS) for the determination of chromium content in steels and cast irons.
The method is applicable to non-alloy and low-alloy steels and cast irons with chromium contents between 0,002 % (by mass) to 2,0 % (by mass).
The method can be adapted to lower or higher chromium contents by changing the test portion or the dilution factor, provided the criteria in 6.3.2 and 6.3.3 are still met.
The precision data of the present method are given in Annex A.

This International Standard specifies a flame atomic absorption spectrometric method for the
determination of the cobalt content in steel and iron.
The method is applicable to cobalt contents between 0,003 % (m/m) and 5,0 % (m/m).

This document specifies a flame atomic absorption spectrometric method (FAAS) for the determination of the vanadium content in steel.
The method is applicable to vanadium contents between 0,01 % (mass fraction) and 0,80 % (mass fraction), provided that the tungsten content in a 1,0 g test portion is not higher than 1,0 % and/or the titanium content is not higher than 0,5 %.

This document specifies a flame atomic absorption spectrometric method (FAAS) for the determination of calcium content in non-alloy and low alloy steels.
The method is applicable to calcium contents between 4 µg/g and 120 µg/g.
The method can be adapted to higher calcium contents by changing the test portion or the dilution process, provided the criteria in 6.2.2 and 6.2.3 are still met.

This document specifies a flame atomic absorption spectrometric method (FAAS) for the determination of nickel content in steels and cast irons.
The method is applicable to nickel contents between 0,004 % (weight percent) and 2,0 % (weight percent).
The method can be adapted to lower or higher nickel contents by changing the test portion or the dilution process, provided the criteria in 6.2.2 and 6.2.3 are still met.

This document specifies a flame atomic absorption spectrometric method (FAAS) for the determination of lead content in non-alloy and low alloy steels.
The method is applicable to lead contents between 0,005 % (weight percent) and 0,5 % (weight percent).
The method can be adapted to lower or higher lead contents by changing the test portion or the dilution process, provided the criteria in 6.2.2 and 6.2.3 are still met.

This document specifies an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometric method for the determination of the chromium content (mass fraction) between 5,0 % (m/m) and 27,0 % (m/m) in alloyed steels.
The method doesn't apply to alloyed steels having carbon contents higher than 1 % and niobium and/or tungsten contents higher than 0,1 %.

This European Standard specifies an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometric method for the determination of nickel content (mass fraction) between 5,0 % and 25,0 % in alloyed steels.
The method does not apply to alloyed steels having niobium and/or tungsten contents higher than 0,1 %.

This Technical Report specifies an electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric method for the determination of selenium in steels.
The method is applicable to selenium contents between 0,000 4 % (m/m) and 0,02 % (m/m).

This European Standard specifies a flame atomic absorption spectrometric method for the determination of titanium in steels and cast irons. The method is applicable to non-alloyed and alloyed steels and cast irons with titanium contents of 0,01 % to 1,0 % (m/m).

This European Standard specifies an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry routine method for the analysis of unalloyed and low alloyed steels, whose iron content shall be at least 95 %. This standard differs from the similar standard EN 10351:2011 in that it is optimised for the determination of silicon.
This method is applicable to the elements listed in Table 1 within the ranges shown.
The sample preparation described may not completely dissolve samples having a combination of high chromium and substantial carbon. Incomplete dissolution may also affect the determination of manganese and molybdenum in these samples. For this reason, the scope of the method is limited to chromium contents = 0,9 %, whereas the scope of EN 10351 covers a range of up to 1,6 % chromium.
Table 1 - Application ranges
Element   Mass fraction %
   min.   max.
Si   0,020   0,45
Mn   0,005   1,40
P   0,005   0,10
Cu   0,005   0,60
Ni   0,010   2,00
Cr   0,010   0,90
Mo   0,005   0,60
Sn   0,010   0,10
NOTE   For tin, see NOTE 2 under Clause 11.
In all cases, the ranges specified can be extended or adapted (after validation) for the determination of other mass fractions, provided that the iron content in the samples under concern is above 95 %.
Other elements may be included. However such elements and their mass fractions should be carefully checked, taking into account the possible interferences, the sensitivity, the resolution and the linearity criteria of each instrument and each wavelength.
Depending also on the sensitivity of each instrument, suitable dilutions of the calibration and the test sample solutions may be necessary.
Moreover, even if the method described is "multi elemental", it is not absolutely necessary to carry out the determination of all the elements of its scope simultaneously. The measurement conditions have to be optimised by each laboratory, depending on the performances of each apparatus available.

This European Standard specifies a spectrophotometric method for the determination of boron in steels. The method is applicable to non-alloyed and alloyed steels with boron contents of 0,000 4 to 0,012 0 % (m/m).

This Technical Report describes an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometric method for the determination of Al, Ti and P contents in Ferro Silicon materials.
The method is applicable to:
- Al content between 0,2 and 2 %;
- Ti content between 0,02 and 0,25 %;
- P content between 0,005 and 0,05 %.
This Technical Report also describes the general requirements for analysis by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, the preparation and dissolution of the test sample and the method of calculation of the results.
The procedure is valid for the analytical lines given in Table 1. This table also gives, for each line, the spectral interferences, which must be accurately corrected.
NOTE   The interferences extend as well as other possible interferences depend on the temperature in the plasma and on the optical resolution of the spectrometer used.
Table 1 - Spectral lines suggested together with the interferences which shall be corrected
Element   Wavelength (nm)   Interferences
Al   308,22   V
Ti   337,28   V, Ni
P   178,29   Mo

This European Standard specifies an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry routine method for the analysis of unalloyed and low alloyed steels, whose iron content shall be at least 95 %.
This method is applicable to the elements listed in Table 1 within the ranges shown.
Table 1 - Application ranges
(...)
In all cases, the ranges specified can be extended or adapted (after validation) for the determination of other mass fractions, provided that the iron content in the samples under concern is above 95 %.
Other elements may be included. However such elements and their mass fractions should be carefully checked, taking into account the possible interferences, the sensitivity, the resolution and the linearity criteria of each instrument and each wavelength.
Depending also on the sensitivity of each instrument, suitable dilutions of the calibration and the test sample solutions may be necessary.
Moreover, even if the method described is "multi elemental", it is not absolutely necessary to carry out the determination of all the elements of its scope simultaneously: the measurement conditions have to be optimised by each laboratory, depending on the performances of each apparatus available.
NOTE 1   The accuracy of the method is unsatisfactory for phosphorus contents from 0,05 to 0,1 %.
NOTE 2   The trueness of the method couldn't be checked for vanadium contents below 0,05 %.
NOTE 3   The precision of the method is unsatisfactory for aluminium (total) contents below 0,02 %.

Revision of ECISS Information Circular No 8.

Revision of ECISS Information Circular No 9.

The principle of the method specified is dissolving a test portion in hydrochloric and nitric acids followed by evaporation with perchloric acid until white fumes appear, spraying the solution into an air-acetylene flame, spectrometrically measuring the atomic absorption of the 279,5 nm spectral line emitted by a manganese hollow cathode lamp. The method is applicable to manganese contents between 0,002 % (m/m) and 2,0 % (m/m).

The method is applicable to the determination of acid-soluble and/or total aluminium content between 0,005 % (m/m) and 0,20 % (m/m). Specifies definition, principle, reagents, apparatus, sampling, procedure, expression of results and test report. The annexes give additional information on the international co-operative tests, a graphical representation of precision data and procedures for the determination of instrumental criteria.

This European Standard  specifies a method for the determination of chromium in steels and irons by means of flame atomic absorption spectrometry.
The method is applicable to non-alloy and low-alloy steels and irons with chromium contents of 0,002 to 0,02 % (m/m) (see Annex).

The method is applicable to copper contents between 0.004 % (m/m) and 0.5 % (m/m). Specifies principle, reagents, apparatus, sampling, procedure, expression of results and test report. Annex A gives additional information on the international co-operative tests. Annex B includes the graphical representation of precision data.

The present Technical Report gives guidance regarding the chemical composition controls of steels (except chrome plated products) and cast irons in respect of the European legislation, namely Directives 2011/65/EU (RoHS) [1], repealing 2002/95/EU and 2000/53/EC (ELV) [2].
These directives require the characterization of these materials for Cadmium (Cd), hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)), mercury (Hg), Lead (Pb), polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE). Nevertheless, the directives do not reflect the correspondence between these elements/compounds and the normal composition of each material concerned. In other words, for every material there is an obligation to determine all the compounds listed, independently of the relevance of such controls.