This sampling practice is useful for converting chips, turnings, and wires taken from ingots or other solid materials into a homogeneous solid sample suitable for direct excitation on an optical emission or X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The resultant button may itself be chipped to provide samples for plasma emission, atomic absorption, and wet chemical analysis.

This practice has been used extensively for the preparation of zirconium, zirconium alloy, titanium, and titanium alloy materials, and is applicable to other reactive, refractory, ferrous and nonferrous alloys, such as cobalt, cobalt alloys, columbium (niobium), nickel, nickel alloys, stainless steels, tantalum, tool steels, and tungsten.

1.1 This practice covers the preparation of solid samples of reactive and refractory metals and alloys by electric arc remelting. The samples for melting may be in the form of chips, turnings, wires, and sponge. Powdered metals need to be compacted before melting.

1.1.1 This practice is also suitable for preparation of solid samples of other metals, such as steels, stainless steels, tool steels, nickel, nickel alloys, cobalt, and cobalt alloys by electric arc remelting.

This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific hazard statements are given in Section 9.