QUANTITATIVE-ANALYSIS OF MINERAL POWDERS BY DRIFTS - DETERMINATION OFSRCO3 IN SUPERCONDUCTOR PRECURSOR POWDERS

An application of diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spect roscopy (DRIFTS) has been demonstrated to be able to determine small c oncentrations, down to the 100-ppm level, of carbonates in powdery sup erconductor (SPC) precursor samples, The detection of carbonates in SP C precursor powders is important because of degradation effects on the electrical properties of the final product, Qualitative analysis carr ied out by DRIFTS shows that strontium carbonate (SrCO3) is the major carbonate present in a batch of SPC precursor powder. Two different ca libration approaches are employed in order to determine the SrCO3 conc entrations in the SPC powders. The concentrations found by the two met hods are in good agreement.