LECO Graphite Crucible

LECO Graphite Crucible Introduction

LECO offers a wide range of graphite crucibles for various applications, primarily in elemental analysis, particularly with their combustion analyzers. Here's a breakdown of what you should know about LECO graphite crucibles:

Key Features and Benefits

Purity: LECO crucibles are made from high-purity graphite, crucial for accurate elemental analysis results. Low background levels of elements like carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen minimize interference with your sample analysis.

Consistent Performance: Manufactured to tight specifications, LECO crucibles provide consistent and reliable performance in combustion processes.

Optimized Geometry: The shape and dimensions of the crucibles are designed to optimize the combustion process within LECO analyzers, ensuring complete sample oxidation and accurate measurements.

High Temperature Resistance: Graphite's inherent high-temperature resistance makes these crucibles suitable for the intense heat generated during combustion analysis.

Compatibility: Specifically designed and tested for use with LECO's range of combustion analyzers.

Applications

LECO graphite crucibles are primarily used in conjunction with LECO analyzers for determining the following:

Carbon and Sulfur: In steel, iron, alloys, coal, coke, soil, and other materials. This is their most common application.

Nitrogen and Oxygen: In various materials, often using inert gas fusion techniques, but graphite crucibles can still play a role in the overall process.

Hydrogen: In some applications.

Types of LECO Graphite Crucibles

LECO offers a variety of crucible sizes and types to suit different instruments and sample types. Crucibles are often differentiated by:

Dimensions: Diameter, height, and wall thickness.

Material Composition: Specific graphite grade for optimized performance with certain instruments or applications.

With or Without Accelerator: Some crucibles come pre-mixed with accelerators (like tungsten or iron chips) to aid combustion, especially for difficult-to-burn samples. These are particularly useful for carbon and sulfur analysis.

Important Considerations When Choosing a Crucible

Analyzer Model: The most important factor. Refer to your LECO analyzer's manual or LECO's website to determine the correct crucible for your instrument. Using the wrong crucible can damage your analyzer or lead to inaccurate results.

Sample Type: The type of material being analyzed can influence the choice of crucible. Difficult-to-combust samples may benefit from crucibles with integrated accelerators.

Crucible Dimensions: Correct dimensions are crucial for proper fit and heat transfer within the analyzer.

Purity Requirements: If your analysis requires extremely low background levels of specific elements, choose a crucible with a certified low background for those elements.

Accelerator (if needed): Choose the appropriate accelerator (e.g., tungsten, iron, copper) and concentration based on the sample matrix and the elements being analyzed. Some crucibles come pre-loaded with accelerator.

Handling and Storage

Cleanliness: Graphite crucibles should be handled with clean gloves or tools to avoid contamination.

Storage: Store crucibles in a clean, dry place, preferably in their original packaging, to prevent contamination and moisture absorption.

Pre-Burning (Conditioning): Some users pre-burn new crucibles in the analyzer to remove any residual volatile contaminants before using them for sample analysis. Follow LECO's recommendations if this is advised for your specific application.