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| Reference Methods and Standards for Commodities Characterization |
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| Objective: |
To develop, critically evaluate, and apply methods for characterizing material(s) whose commercial value is a function of its chemical composition to underpin the provision of commodity characterizations appropriate for and accepted by the trading partners of a specific commodity community. |
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| Description: |
| The provision of accurate, accepted chemical characterization determinations is critical for those materials whose commercial value, properties, or suitability for use depend on their chemical composition. These characterizations may require measurement of major component(s), identification and quantification of contaminants, and/or determination of the spatial distribution of components. This project requires ongoing identification of those commodity areas with critical needs that can be addressed by NIST and strategic selection of project tasks from among these areas. The most appropriate NIST role is assessed on a case-by-case basis; typically, this requires the development, critical evaluation, and transfer to industry of measurement capabilities meeting specific accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity criteria and/or provision of NIST Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) with certified chemical composition values for use in validation of methods and the demonstration/assurance of a laboratory's measurement capabilities. |
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| Area(s) of Application: |
- Chemical and Allied Products
- Industrial and Analytical Instruments
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| Accomplishments: |
- SRMs in support of new lower regulatory levels of sulfur in fossil fuels:
SRM 1616 B - Sulfur in Kerosene
SRM 1624 D - Sulfur in Kerosene
SRM 2693 - Low Sulfur/Mercury Coal
SRM 2770 - Sulfur in Diesel Fuel
- Cement and cement-related benchmark standards: Recent additions to NIST SRMs in this area include:
SRM 2696 - Silica Fume (In response to new technolog y /needs . SRM 2696 Silica Fume was developed to support manufacture and use of this high-grade, small particle size silica used to improve the strength and durability of concrete. Silica fume, a by-product of metals refining, metamorphosed from industrial waste to an important commodity in the past five to ten years.)
SRM 1 D - Argillaceous Limestone ( building material and in manufacture of lime for agricultural and chemical processes, cement and concrete, and iron and steel)
- Critical industry benchmark metal and metal alloy standards; refined NIST procedures for non-metals in metal alloys. Recent additions to NIST SRMs in this area include:
SRM 16f - Carbon Steel
SRM 2165 - Low Alloy Steel E
SRM 133b - Cr-Mo Steel
SRMs 853a / 1240c - Aluminum Alloy 3004 (Main alloy in aluminum cans)
SRM 1727 - Anode Tin (For trace Pb in tinplate used in food cans)
SRM 173c - 6Al-4V Titanium (Most used Ti alloy)
SRMs 2452 , 2453 , 2454 - Hydrogen in Titanium Alloy (Hydrogen content is a critical specification of materials used by aerospace industry, etc. as it contributes to brittleness of metals/alloys.)
SRM 699 - Alumina, Reduction Grade (improved on request by Aluminum Assoc.)
SRM 2426 - 55% Aluminum-Zinc Alloy (Al/Zn Hot-Dip Coating) SRMs C1251a / C1252a / C1253a - Phosphorus Deoxidized Copper ( Trace elements in high purity Cu
- Calibration standard for spectrophotometers used to monitor regulatory compliance of use of red dye mixture to differentiate diesel fuel such as those used in off-road vehicles or as heating oil that are not subject to “fuel road taxes”
SRM 2037 - Solvent Red 24 Diesel Fuel Dye
- Participation in BIPM Consultative Committee on the Quantity of Matter (CCQM) comparison exercises to establish comparability internationally.
CCQM-K35 - Low sulfur in fuel
CCQM-K33 / -P25 - Minor Elements in Low Alloy Steel (Cr, Mn, Ni, Mo)
CCQM-K42 / -P34 - Constituents of an Aluminum Alloy (Fe, Cu, Mn, Cr, Zn)
- A method based on radiochemical neutron activation analysis for determination of low-level nitrogen in steels and other metals is being developed/validated. Current industrial methods for measurement of nitrogen are not reliable below 1 mg/kg. A reliable method for accurate measurement of low-level nitrogen in titanium and other materials is needed for characterization of materials used by industries such as the U. S. aerospace industry because many alterations of metal and semiconductor properties are ascribed to the presence of low-level nitrogen. Radiochemical neutron activation analysis is capable of detection of nanogram levels of nitrogen in materials.
- A project is underway to create a faster, more efficient approach to the development of SRMs for elemental composition of cement products. The project is a joint venture between ASTM/NIST for cement laboratory proficiency testing and new product development.
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| Future Plans: |
- Renewals of high-priority SRMs as needed in support of characterization of commodities
- Continue strong interactions with representatives of various commodity sectors
- Research and services in support of measurement needs of commodity sectors.
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| Relevant Links: |
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| Recent Publications: |
- Howard , M.E. and Vocke, R.D. Jr., “ A Closed System Digestion and Purification Procedure for the Accurate Assay of Chlorine in Fossil Fuels ,” J. Anal. Atom. Spect., 19 , 1423-1427 (2004).
- Sieber, J.R., Yu, L.L., Marlow, A.F., and Butler , T.A., “ Traceability and Uncertainty in Alloy Analysis by Borate Fusion and XRF ,” X-Ray Spectrom. (in press, Published on the Web October 2004).
- Sieber, J.; Broton, D.; Fales, C.; Leigh, S.; MacDonald, B.; Marlow, A.; Nettles, S.; and Yen, J.; “Standard Reference Materials for Cements” ; Cem. Concr. Res., 32, 1899-1906 (2002).
- Sieber, J. R. , “Matrix-Independent XRF Methods for Certification of Standard Reference Materials” ; Adv. X-Ray Anal., 45, 2002.
- Paul, R.L., Chen-Mayer, H.H., Myneni, G.R., Lanford, W., “ Hydrogen Uptake by High Purity Niobium Studied by Nuclear Analytical Methods ,” Materiaux & Techniques 7-8-9 , 23 (2003).
- Paul, R.L., “ Determination of Hydrogen in Semiconductors and Related Materials by Cold Neutron Prompt Gamma-ray Activation Analysis ,” in: Hydrogen in Semiconductors , Norbert H. Nickel, Matthew D. McCluskey, Shengbai Zhang, (eds.), (Materials Research Society), Materials Research Society Proceedings, 813 Warrendale, PA (2004).
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| External Collaborators: |
- ASTM International Committee E01 on Analytical Chemistry of Metals, Ores, and Related Materials
- ASTM Committee C01 on Cement
- ASTM Committee C07 on Lime and Limestone
- ASTM Committee C09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates
- Aluminum Association
- U.S. Federal Highway Administration.
- National Lime Association
- Silica Fume Association
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
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| Principal Investigators: |
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