CRM Tellurium (Te) - Aqueous calibration solution ASTASOL® AN8059C

Importance of the Topic

The availability of high-quality certified reference materials (CRMs) is fundamental to ensuring the accuracy and comparability of analytical results across laboratories.
Calibration solutions such as ASTASOL® AN8059C, designed for tellurium determination, support method validation, instrument calibration, and quality assurance in environmental, industrial, and research applications.

Objectives and Study Overview

This document presents the certification of an aqueous tellurium calibration solution, ASTASOL® AN8059C.
The primary goals are to establish a certified concentration with associated uncertainty, demonstrate homogeneity and stability, and provide traceability to the SI unit.

Methodology and Sample Preparation

The standard was prepared by gravimetric weighing of ultra-pure elemental tellurium (99.999% purity) into a 20% HCl matrix made from sub-boiled HCl and ultrapure water (resistivity ≥18 MΩ·cm).
The density at 20 °C was measured as 1.0378 g/cm³ with expanded uncertainty ±0.0005 g/cm³ (k=2).
The certified tellurium concentration is 100.0 mg/L with expanded uncertainty ±0.2 mg/L (k=2), equivalent to 96.4 mg/kg based on density.

Instrumentation Used

Trace impurities were quantified to assess solution purity and support user information (not for calibration):

• Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS)
• Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES)
• Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)

These techniques confirmed that most elements are below detection limits, ensuring high chemical purity of the CRM.

Main Results and Discussion

The gravimetric approach provides direct SI traceability to the kilogram through mass measurements.
Homogeneity tests and stability studies under recommended storage conditions (5–30 °C) guarantee consistent performance over a five-year shelf life.
The solution’s low impurity levels (<0.01–0.5 mg/L for most elements) minimize potential interferences during calibration of trace-level analyses.

Benefits and Practical Applications

ASTASOL® AN8059C serves as a primary calibration standard for a range of analytical techniques:

• Atomic spectrometry (AAS, AES, ICP-OES, ICP-MS)
• Molecular absorption spectrometry
• Electroanalytical methods

Its certified concentration and uncertainty enable laboratories to validate method performance, achieve regulatory compliance, and maintain inter-laboratory comparability.

Future Trends and Applications

Advances in CRM design will focus on multi-element solutions, microvolume formats for microfluidics, and digital certification data integration.
Enhanced stability through innovative containers and automated quality monitoring may extend shelf life and improve usability.
Emerging real-time calibration approaches in field-deployable instruments will benefit from robust aqueous standards like ASTASOL® AN8059C.

Conclusion

ASTASOL® AN8059C offers a rigorously certified tellurium calibration solution with high purity, SI traceability, and low measurement uncertainty.
Its documented homogeneity and stability support reliable calibration across various analytical platforms, reinforcing data quality and traceability in trace-element determinations.

References

No external literature references are cited in this certificate.