X-ray Fluorescent Determination of Lanthanum, Cerium, Praseodymium, and Neodymium in Plain Carbon and Low Alloy Steels

An illvestigation was ulldertaken to determine four rare earth elements (La, Ce, Nd, and Prj in the range of 0.005 to 0.i5° 0 by lhe X-ray fluorescent s/JectrometIY .i n the absence qf reliable stalldards , tlze glass bead teclznique for irregularly sha/Jed samples such as drillings was deve/o/Jed.R are earllz elements were precipitated as the fluorides after dissolving 5 g of the sample in sulfuric acid, the filtered fluorides were tlzen ignited to oxides, mixed with sodium tetraborate, and melted to prepare tlze g lass beads.The glass bead method ensured a precision qf less lhan 2% of the amount /Jresen t.A good agreemellt was obtained betweell the chemical and X -ray remits.The advantages of the method were tlze facility oj Ihe construction of an allalytical curve by usillg chemical reagents, the absence 'Ii illierelemellial eifecls becau se of the se/Jaration oj rare earlh elelllenis.and the versatilil)' to be aP/Jlicable to other materials wilh minor modifications.The slalldard sam/Jles oj low alio)' steels for lhe direct metal disk technique were furthermore prepared and a conventional procedure was taken w ilh sati.ifactOlY results.