Determination of oxygen content in magnesium and its alloys by inert gas fusion-infrared absorptiometry.

A method for the determination of the oxygen content in magnesium and magnesium alloys has been developed. Inert gas fusion-infrared absorptiometry was modified by introducing a multistep heating process; a sample containing oxygen is fused with tin to form an eutectic mixture at 900°C in a graphite crucible, followed by a subsequent gradual temperature increase of up to 2000°C, which enables the evaporation of magnesium from the mixture, and subsequent solidification at the rim of the crucible. Residual tin including magnesium oxide remained at the bottom of the crucible. The oxygen in the tin is measured by a conventional inert gas fusion (IGF) method. From a comparison with the results of charged particle activation analysis, the IGF method is considered to be an attractive candidate for measuring the oxygen content in Mg and its alloys.