Precise and Accurate Assessment of the Copper Scrap Composition by the X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

This paper evaluates the possibility of analyzing the composition of high-quality copper scrap with X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) instead of electrogravimetry combined with flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (EG+FAAS) method. The evaluation of the methods was performed on three real copper scraps, the composition of which were estimated in average samples taken after re-melting. Traceability of XRF results was ensured by the use of new certified reference materials (CRMs) dedicated to copper scrap analysis. The copper content results obtained by XRF were characterized by high agreement with the reference results obtained by EG+FAAS method. The estimated expanded uncertainty for Cu of both methods was 0.23%. In addition to significant time savings without compromising accuracy, the XRF method additionally provided information on the content of 12 other elements, such as Sn, Zn, Co, Cd, Sb, Ni, Fe, Pb, Bi, Ag, Al, and P. This may make the XRF method attractive compared to the commonly used EG+FAAS method.