scope:

This document specifies an inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry routine method for the analysis of unalloyed and low alloyed steels, whose iron content should be at least 95 %. In all cases, the ranges specified can be extended or adapted (after validation) for the determination of other mass fractions, provided that the iron content in the samples under concern still is above 95 %. Other elements may be included. However such elements and their mass fractions should be carefully checked, taking into account the eventual interferences, the sensitivity, the resolution and the linearity criteria for each instrument and each wavelength. Depending also on the sensitivity of each instrument, suitable dilutions of the calibration and the test sample solutions may be necessary. Moreover, even if the method described is a "multi elemental" method it is not absolutely necessary to carry out the determination of all the elements of its scope simultaneously: the measurement conditions have to be optimised by each laboratory, depending on the performances of each apparatus available.