5.1 These test methods are primarily intended to test materials for compliance with compositional specifications and for monitoring. Partial extraction of ores and related metallurgical materials can provide information on the availability of elements to leaching, water quality changes, or other site conditions.

5.2 Rapid heating, in combination with temperatures in excess of the atmospheric boiling point of HNO₃, reduces sample preparation or reaction times.

5.3 Little or no acids are lost to boiling or evaporation in the closed digestion vessel so additional portions of acid may not be required. Increased blank corrections from trace impurities in acid are minimized.

5.4 It is assumed that the users of this practice will be trained analysts capable of performing common laboratory procedures skillfully and safely. It is expected that work will be performed in a properly equipped laboratory and that proper waste disposal procedures will be followed. Appropriate quality control practices such as those described in Guide E882 must be followed.

1.1 This practice covers the digestion of ores and related metallurgical materials, such as mine soil, waste rock and tailings, for subsequent determination of nitric acid-extractable contents of certain elements by such solution analytical techniques as atomic absorption, atomic emission (see Method D1976), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (see Method D5673).

1.1.1 Contents of aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, bismuth, boron, cadmium, calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, iron, lead, lithium, magnesium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorus, potassium, scandium, selenium, silver, sodium, strontium, thallium, tin, titanium, vanadium and zinc can be extracted from ores and related metallurgical materials for determination by analytical methods for elements in solution. Other elements may be determined from extracts produced using this practice.

1.1.2 Actual element quantification can be accomplished by following the various test methods under other appropriate ASTM standards for element(s) of interest in solution.

1.1.3 The detection limit and linear content range for each element is dependent on the atomic absorption or emission spectrometric technique employed and may be found in the manual accompanying the instrument used or ASTM standard method for analysis of the solutions. Take into account the 100 fold dilution due to digesting a 1-g sample to final volume of 100 mL.

1.1.4 The extent of extraction of elements from ores and related metallurgical materials by this method is dependent upon the physical and mineralogical characteristics of the prepared sample.

1.2 The values stated SI units are to be regarded as the standard. No other units of measurements are included in this standard.

1.3 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. For specific hazard statements, see Section 9.