ISO 11437:2018

Overview

ISO 11437:2018 specifies an electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric (ETAAS) method for the determination of lead (Pb) in nickel alloys. The standard covers routine laboratory procedures to measure lead in the range 1 µg/g to 10 µg/g. It replaces and merges the earlier ISO 11437-1:1994 and ISO 11437-2:1994 editions and is intended for use in materials testing and quality control of nickel-based alloys.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and range: Determination of lead in nickel alloys from 1 µg/g to 10 µg/g using ETAAS.
• Principle: Dissolve a test portion in a nitric/hydrofluoric acid mixture, prepare aliquots with a chemical modifier, inject into an electrothermal atomizer and measure atomic absorption at 283.3 nm using a lead hollow-cathode lamp.
• Sample preparation: Typical test portion is 0.500 g dissolved in nitric/hydrofluoric acid and diluted to 100 ml. Clean samples (remove oil/grease) and riffle heterogeneous samples as required.
• Reagents and modifier: Includes nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid (with HF safety warning), nickel base solutions, and a nickel nitrate‑ammonium phosphate modifier.
• Instrumentation: ETAAS with pyrolytic graphite tube and L’vov platform (or graphite tube), background correction, fast recording for peak area/height, injection volume typically 20 µl (adjustable by instrument sensitivity).
• Performance criteria (Annex A):
  • Limit of detection: < 20 pg (equivalent to 1.0 µg/l or 0.2 µg/g).
  • Characteristic mass: within ±20% of the manufacturer’s value.
  • Precision: calibration solution S4 precision ≤ 10% of mean absorbance; S2 precision ≤ 4% of mean absorbance of S4.
  • Linearity: calibration linearity ≥ 0.7.
• Calibration: Use prepared calibration series (examples given as 0, 10, 20, 30 µg/l etc.) and run blank tests in parallel.
• Standards referenced: ISO 648 and ISO 1042 for volumetric glassware.

Applications and users

ISO 11437:2018 is suited to:

• Metallurgical and materials testing laboratories performing compositional analysis of nickel alloys.
• Quality control teams in nickel-alloy manufacturing (aerospace, power generation, chemical processing) ensuring lead content meets specifications.
• Regulatory and certification bodies verifying material conformity and contamination limits.
• R&D groups developing alloy compositions where trace lead monitoring is required.

Related standards

• ISO 648 - Laboratory glassware: single-volume pipettes
• ISO 1042 - Laboratory glassware: one-mark volumetric flasks

Keywords: ISO 11437:2018, nickel alloys, lead determination, electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, ETAAS, L’vov platform, limit of detection, sample preparation, calibration.