Direct Determination of Fe, Ni, Co and Cr in Tungsten Carbide

Tungsten carbide is a crystalline compound whereby carbon is enclosed in the grid structure of the tungsten. Thus it has a very stable structure and high degree of hardness that is similar to diamond. For analysis and quality control by atomic absorption spectroscopy the solid usually has to be digested completely and brought into solution, but because of the high degree of hardness this can only be achieved under extreme conditions. In this application note, a solid AA® technique is described as a good and direct option without complex sample preparation.