CRM Chromium (Cr) - Aqueous calibration solution ASTASOL® AN8013C

Importance of Calibration Solutions in Analytical Chemistry

Accurate quantification of metals relies on stable and certified standards. Aqueous reference materials ensure reproducibility and traceability in atomic spectrometric techniques.

Objectives and Overview of the Certification

This certificate describes ASTASOL® AN8013C, an aqueous calibration solution containing chromium at 100 mg/L with an expanded uncertainty of 0.2 mg/L (k=2) at 20 °C. It is designed for method validation and calibration across AAS, AES, ICP-OES, ICP-MS, molecular absorption and selected electroanalytical methods.

Applied Methodology and Instrumentation

The solution was prepared gravimetrically using 99.997% pure chromium metal dissolved in 2% HCl matrix. Ultrapure water (≥18 MΩ·cm) and sub-boiled distilled HCl ensured minimal blank contributions and SI traceability. Certified concentration and uncertainty were verified by ICP-OES. Trace impurity screening by AAS, ICP-OES and ICP-MS provided additional compositional information.

Main Results and Discussion

• Certified chromium concentration: 100.0 ± 0.2 mg/L (99.1 ± 0.3 mg/kg) based on measured density of 1.0089 ± 0.0005 g/cm³ at 20 °C.
• Trace impurity levels for over 60 elements were below detection limits or present at sub-µg/L concentrations, confirming high purity.
• Homogeneity and stability studies demonstrated consistent performance throughout a 5-year shelf life when stored at 5–30 °C and used within 12 months after opening.

Benefits and Practical Applications

ASTASOL® AN8013C serves as a reliable calibration standard for routine quality control, instrument calibration curves and method validation in environmental, industrial and research laboratories analyzing aqueous chromium samples.

Future Trends and Potential Uses

Ongoing development of multi-element calibration solutions, lower concentration ranges and integration with digital certification platforms will enhance workflow efficiency, data integrity and broader applicability in high-throughput laboratories.

Conclusion

ASTASOL® AN8013C is a high-purity, well-characterized chromium reference material providing SI traceability, low uncertainty and proven homogeneity and stability. It supports reliable analytical results across a wide range of spectrometric methods under routine laboratory conditions.

References

• ISO Guide 31: 2015, Reference materials – Contents of certificates and labels.
• ČSN EN ISO 17034:2017 – General requirements for the competence of reference material producers.
• ČSN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018 – General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.
• ČSN EN ISO 9001:2016 – Quality management systems.