The metallurgical properties of aluminum and its alloys are highly dependent on chemical composition. Precise and accurate analyses are essential to obtaining desired properties, meeting customer specifications and helping to reduce scrap due to off-grade material.

This test method is applicable to chill cast specimens as defined in Practice E716 and can also be applied to other types of samples provided that suitable reference materials are available. Also, other sample forms can be melted-down and cast into a disk, using an appropriate mold, as described in Practice E716. However, it should be noted that some elements (for example, magnesium) readily form oxides, while some others (for example, sodium, lithium, calcium, and strontium) are volatile, and may be lost to varying degrees during the melting process.

1.1 This test method describes the analysis of aluminum and its alloys by atomic emission spectrometry. The aluminum specimen to be analyzed may be in the form of a chill cast disk, casting, foil, sheet, plate, extrusion or some other wrought form or shape. The elements covered in the scope of this method are listed in the table below.