The equipment park of the physico-chemical laboratory of CZP (the enterprise of the UMMC metallurgical complex) was supplemented with Agilent. The atomic absorption spectrometer provides a high-precision analysis of concentrates, clinker, waste water, zinc and alloys. The cost of new equipment is about 3 million rubles.

This instrument measures the concentration of elements in solutions. Under the influence of temperature, metal atoms absorb light of a certain wavelength, the so-called "resonant absorption". The more light is absorbed, the more element in the sample.

A special lamp is installed in the instrument and adjusted so that the light passing through the receiver is the maximum. In the gas block, a special acetylene mixture is ignited. Through the silicone capillary, it is necessary to apply the solution to the spray chamber, where, passing through another iridium capillary with a very narrow opening, the solution turns into fog. This "fog" enters the flame, where the absorption of light of a certain wavelength by the atoms of the element being determined. The laboratory technician submits in advance solutions to the flame with a known content of the element to be determined, thus experimentally obtaining the dependence of the amount of absorbed light on the amount of substance. Through this dependence, the content of the investigated component in the sample.

The advantages of the atomic absorption method of analysis is the simplicity and low impact of the sample composition on the analysis results. At an hour, up to 50 tests can be performed.

"Atomic absorption is a special area of ??analytical chemistry. Similarly, almost any element (of the order of 60 metals) can be investigated, the main thing is that it can be dissolved. So, for example, you can check whether real gold is made of jewelry. The only drawback of this method is that the ringlet or earrings from the solution can not be returned back, "says the head of the department of physical and chemical methods of analysis, Yevgeny Kovalev.