The elelmental analysis of zeolites for their major and minor components requires a sample preparation approach that will dissolve a wide variety of elements without volatilization or precipitation losses. The first of the two main approaches taken by the analytical community has been to perform a fusion with a mixture of lithium tetraborate / lithium carbonate followed by dissolution of the fuseate with dilute nitric acid. The second approach is to perform a digestion of the sample with aqua regia followed by dissolution in cold hydrofluoric acid (< 5°C) and chelation of the excess HF with boric acid.
Both preparations are followed by measurement using inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy. (ICPES). These procedures, which are state-of-the-art for quantitative zeolites elemental analysis, each required 1+ hours of sample preparation time and suffer from measurement problems associated with high solids containing solutions, such as torch and nebulizer fouling, high dilution factors, high Si blanks, and poor detection limits (approximately 100 ppm).
These notes describe a procedure for the elemental analysis of zeolites that has reduced the sample preparation down to the time it takes to weigh the sample, add reagents, and shake. It has also eliminated the measurement problems associated with solutions containing high solids.