This method is for determining trace levels of iron, sodium, calcium, magnesium, titanium, molybdenum and silicon in fresh alumina supported catalysts of known composition by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). All these elements except silicon can also be determined in fresh silica-alumina supported catalysts. The method is sufficiently flexible to permit the determination of other metals at trace levels if they can be brought into solution using the sample preparation procedure described. Concentration ranges covered are listed in Table 1. Catalysts containing alpha- or theta-alumina phases cannot be analyzed by this method.
