Development of suitable plastic standards for X-ray fluorescence analysis

For the adoption of the EU directive “Restriction on use of certain Hazardous Substances” and “Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment” using X-ray fluorescence analysis suitable standard materials are required. Plastic standards based on acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene terpolymer, containing the regulated elements Br, Cd, Cr, Hg and Pb were developed and produced as granulates and solid bodies. The calibration materials were not generated as a dilution from one master batch but rather the element concentrations were distributed over nine independent calibration samples. This was necessary to enable inter-elemental corrections and empirical constant mass absorption coefficients. The produced standard materials are characterized by a homogenous element distribution, which is more than sufficient for X-ray fluorescence analysis. Concentrations for all elements except for Br could be determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy after microwave assisted digestion. The concentration of Br was determined by use of Neutron Activation Analysis at Hahn-Meitner-Institute in Berlin, Germany. The correlation of the X-ray fluorescence analysis measurements with the values determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy and Neutron Activation Analysis showed a very good linearity.