This method is for determining trace metal elements in fresh,regenerated and spent alumina-, silica- or silica/alumina-basedcatalysts by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic EmissionSpectroscopy (ICP-AES). Fe, Ni, V, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cr, Sn, Cu, Zn, Ti,Pb, Na, Mo, Co and Si are determined quantitatively on catalysts.Si is not determined when it is a component of the catalyst base.Other elements can be added if required, however, Ba and Hg cannotbe determined. In addition, As and P are determined on regeneratedor spent alumina-based catalyst. The majority of the specifiedelements can be determined within the concentration range of 0.005to 2.0 mass-%. Specific concentration ranges for the elementsdetermined are listed in Table 1.

This method is not applicable to noble metals and modifiers oncatalysts. Those elements can be determined by UOP Method 873.

This method cannot be used for determining impurities inalpha-alumina catalyst.