1989 Volume 29 Issue 11 Pages 973-979
In the determination of the total iron (T. Fe) content in iron ores by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, the determined value is influenced by the coexistent elements in iron ores, the loss of combined water and the gain of oxygen during the glass bead preparation. In the present work, the phenomena of the loss of combined water and the gain of oxygen have been discussed, and the influence of these phenomena on the determination of total iron content has been studied. The results obtained were as follows:
(1) It was experimentally confirmed that the combined water was expelled from the glass bead and iron was converted from the lower to the higher oxidation state, Fe(II)→Fe(III), by the glass bead preparation.
(2) The phenomena of (1) had an influence on the FeKα line intensity. The intensity increased when the combined water was expelled from the glass bead. On the other hand, the FeKα line intensity decreased when the gain of oxygen took place.
(3) The correction factors for the loss of combined water and for the gain of oxygen were theoretically derived.
(4) In the experiments, a good analytical accuracy was obtained after correction of changes in weights of samples (glass beads) induced by fusion.
