Quantitative estimation of constituents in fly ash by lithium tetraborate fusion

Silica is removed from fly ash sample by hydroflourination for its effective determination gravimetrically and the remaining residue is subjected to lithium tetraborate (Li₂B₄O₇) fusion followed by dissolution in dilute nitric acid to obtain a clear solution in which elements including aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), have been determined by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS). Two fly ash samples analyzed by the proposed method have been received from the National Council of Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM), India (proposed CRM in future) and fly ash CRM 1633 (b) from NIST, USA. The validity of the method has been established by analyzing fly ash CRM 1633 (b) as reference standard. The standard deviation has been calculated for each measurement.