APPLICATION NOTE

Qotho CRM-1-220 – Ferrochrome

SUMMARY

The application note summarizes the digestion of QCRM-1-220 a Ferrochrome Certified Reference Material using ColdBlock™ Digestion Pro Series Technology.

Instrument: ColdBlock CBM sample digester, chiller, HF inserts, ICP-OES
Published: March 2026
Digestion Time: 95.5 Minutes
Acid Used: H2SO4, HNO3, HF
Average ColdBlock Recovery vs. CRM:
  • 100% Chromium
  • 99% Iron
  • 100% Manganese

METHODOLOGY

  1. The chiller temperature was set to -5 °C.
  2. Approximately 0.100 g of each sample was accurately weighed and transferred into a ColdBlock digestion vessel.
  3. A reagent mixture of 20 mL 5 % H2SO4 v/v and 2 mL HF was added to each vessel.
  4. Samples were digested at 100 % power for 5 minutes, followed by 40% power for 80 minutes.
  5. An additional 5 mL HNO3 was introduced to each vessel.
  6. Samples were further digested at 40 % power for 10 minutes, followed by 100 % power for 30 seconds.
  7. Digestates were allowed to cool, then quantitatively diluted to a final volume of 50mL using a solution of 2 % HNO3 v/v.

DISCUSSION

  • An optional addition of boric acid (20mL of 4% v/v H3BO3) can be used to complex residual fluoride ions, which stabilizes the solution and enables safe analysis on sample introduction systems that are not equipped with inert HF kits.

Results

QCRM-1-220 – Ferrochrome Powder

Element 

Certified Value (wt.%)

+/-

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

Average (wt.%)

Stdev 

RSD 

Recovery

Al

0.08

0.01

0.08

0.09

0.09

0.09

0.003

3.1%

107%

Co

0.055

0.002

0.060

0.056

0.057

0.057

0.002

3.4%

104%

Cr

53.56

0.11

52.92

53.78

54.67

53.79

0.87

1.6%

100%

Fe

35.8

0.37

34.8

35.3

35.8

35.3

0.51

1.5%

99%

Mn

0.29

0.01

0.28

0.29

0.29

0.29

0.004

1.5%

100%

Ni

0.15

0.01

0.15

0.15

0.15

0.15

0.003

2.0%

101%

Si

0.29

0.05

0.33

0.32

0.31

0.32

0.01

3.1%

110%

Ti

0.14

0.01

0.13

0.14

0.14

0.14

0.003

2.1%

97%

V

0.34

0.01

0.33

0.33

0.34

0.33

0.01

3.0%

98%

Qotho Minerals (Pty) Ltd (2022). QCRM‑1‑220 Ferrochrome Certified Reference Material, Certificate of Analysis. South Africa.

Click here to download the Application Note in PDF format.

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