4. Applications

4.1 Volume analysis

Since Grimm's work, glow discharge has established itself as a possible alternative to spark emission or X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for the analysis of metallurgical matrices. It has mainly been used for steels, nickel- and cobalt-based alloys and copper alloys. There are fewer applications in aluminum metallurgy. The main advantages of the method are summarized below:

• good sensitivity, enhanced by the use of microwave- or radio-frequency-assisted lamps; assay limits are close to those obtained by spark emission spectrometry [in the ppm range (10 ^-4 %) to tens of ppm by mass for elements of metallurgical interest];

• the absence of...