Determination of Main Components of Glass-Forming Cu–Zr Alloys

Abstract

A rapid procedure is developed for determination of copper and zirconium in their binary alloys Cu_100–xZr_x in the content ranges corresponding to the region of bulk amorphization (x = 30–70) using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The spectrometer operating conditions are optimized, and the analytical spectral lines (Cu II 224.700 nm and Zr II 354.262 nm) are selected, as well as calibration method and sampling procedure: dissolution in the mixture of HNO₃ and HF with addition of HCl, providing for the minimum standard deviation of the analytical signal. A procedure of oxygen determination by inert gas fusion technique and a procedure for determination of copper by spectrophotometry and zirconium by gravimetric analysis in a single sample together with quality control of ICP-AES are developed for the considered alloys. The results of analysis of Cu_100–xZr_x alloys according to the developed procedures agree well between themselves and accounting for adjustment of oxygen content agree within the error limits (not more than 0.5 wt %) with the added content of copper and zirconium upon synthesis.