Chemical Metrology for Metals, Ores, and Related Materials

A wide range of industrial sectors and their customers and suppliers are involved directly with NIST in the prioritization and development of certified reference materials, and in the development and validation of standard test methods for raw materials, intermediates, and finished products.

In the arena of industrial commodities, the primary challenges are to provide measurement tools and reference materials that allow U.S. industry to establish comparability of measurement results to results obtained by customers, competitors, and regulators for the basic chemical properties of products, intermediates, and by-products on a worldwide basis. All members of a given industrial supply chain benefit from critically evaluated standard test methods validated using trusted reference materials. Due to the wide range of materials and the rapid changes of product compositions, NIST efforts are targeted at key, high-value commodities with the greatest range of metrological impact. The private sector can leverage NIST reference materials by creating their own reference materials targeted at products having more specialized compositions and applications. The goals of this program are to: 

• Increase the availability of reference materials (both NIST and private sector) for basic industrial commodities including metals, ores, and related materials       
• Collaborate with the private sector through standards development organizations and industry associations
• Make use of multiple methods of analysis at NIST and collaborating laboratories 
• Contribute to development of new and improved standard methods of test
• Support other U.S. government agencies’ measurement needs.

This program is comprised of a number of collaborations between NIST and industry sectors. Design of materials for new SRMs is accomplished in cooperation with materials and analysis experts from industry. Specifications for composition, homogeneity, and quantity are based on current and projected industry needs. Value assignment projects are designed to include high-performance analytical methods at NIST, state-of-the-art laboratory methods in industry, and classical chemistry methods where available and appropriate.

Major Accomplishments:

In the past several years, the following SRMs have been developed or renewed in collaboration with industry:

• Completed new and renewal SRMs for steel, silicon metal, zirconium, and copper mine tailings,        
• Participated in development of international standard test methods listed below, 
• Upgraded existing SRM certificates to comply with ISO Guide 31 for more than 20 ferrous alloys, nonferrous alloys, and geological materials,
• Initiated SRM development projects for free-cutting brass, lead-free solder, molybdenum concentrates, silicon carbide, copper ore, refined copper, and feldspar.

Standard Methods of Test: 

The following industry standard methods of test were developed and approved with significant contributions by NIST.

• ASTM International E135-08b Standard Terminology Relating to Analytical Chemistry for Metals, Ores, and Related Materials         
• ASTM International E539-07 Standard Test Method for X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometric Analysis of 6Al-4V Titanium Alloy         
• ASTM International E1361-02(2007) Standard Guide for Correction of Interelement Effects in X-Ray Spectrometric Analysis         
• ASTM International E2465-06 Standard Test Method for Analysis of Ni-Base Alloys by X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry    
• ASTM International E2626-08 Standard Guide for Spectrometric Analysis of Reactive and Refractory Metals