Analysis of single crystals based on strontium–lithium–titanium oxides by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

The content of the major components Sr, Li, Ti, Fe and Nb in single crystals, based on strontium–lithium–titanium oxides has been determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The single crystals have been grown from high temperature solutions of the oxide systems SrO–TiO2–LiBO2 or SrO–TiO2–Fe2O3–Nb2O5–LiBO2. Hydrofluoric and boric acids have been used for sample decomposition. Both the inter-element spectral interferences and multiplicative interferences were studied. The adverse effects of spectral interferences on analytical results were removed by the selection of analysis lines free of line and wing background interferences. Addition of boric acid (0.04–0.08%) did not change appreciably the slope of the calibration graphs for Li, Sr, Ti, Fe and Nb. No significant statistical differences were found between the results obtained by both ICP-AES and electron-probe microanalysis for the above-mentioned single crystals. On the basis of the analytical information the composition of the crystallized phase SrLi2Ti5.16Nb0.58Fe0.26O14.16 was established.