On the Methodology of the Quantitative Analysis of Fe–Cr–Mn–Mo–N–C Steels Reinforced with Oxide and Nitride Particles Using an Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer BRA-135F

A quantitative analysis technique has been developed, based on multiple regression of Fe–Cr–Mn–Mo–N–C composite steels reinforced with oxide and nitride particles using a BRA-135F spectrometer, to determine the concentrations of chromium, manganese, molybdenum, aluminum, and iron. The problem of the selection of peaks for the analysis at a total content of chromium (11.50–15.03 wt %), manganese (7.56–12.18 wt %), and iron (66.54–74.08 wt %) is considered. Optimal lines of the spectra of the steels under study are proposed to obtain satisfactory results in qualitative analysis with account for the peak overlap. It is shown that due to the overlap of the peaks, chromium should be determined by the peak relating to the CrK_α line; manganese, by the peak relating to the MnK_α line; and iron, by the peak relating to the FeK_β line. An approach to selecting peaks to determine molybdenum concentrations is described. It has been found that due to the absence of a reliable separation of the peaks relating to the MoK_β1 and MoK_β2.5 lines, the molybdenum content should be determined by the peak relating to the line MoK_α. The ingots used as calibration samples were preliminary chemically analyzed to determine the content of metals on an atomic emission spectrometer with the inductively coupled plasma Spectroflame Modula S, which provides high stability and reproducibility of the analysis results in a wide concentration range of elements, including those with a low limit of d-etection. The analysis for determining the concentrations of nitrogen and oxygen in the calibration samples was performed using a METAVAK-VAK analyzer, and the carbon content was determined on a METAVAK CS-30 analyzer.