Micro-Analysis of Metals by Optical Emission Spectroscopy

Abstract

The status of metallurgical micro-sampling and analysis is reviewed. Spectroscopic detectabilities for several metallic elements are found to be of the order of I × 10⁻⁹ gram when employing a quartz Littrow spectrograph together with arc excitation and Eastman 103-O emulsion. Techniques are described for the removal and identification of milli-microgram quantities of metallic constituents by means of drills as small as 6 3 microns diameter.