| Abstract: | The rate of oxidation of different organic matters varied greatly at combustion temperatures lower than 800 °C. While some materials were oxidized rapidly, others produced peaks with extremely long tails which were difficult to integrate accurately. At 550 °C, where calcium carbonate still remained intact, the determination of carbon consumed much more time and yielded a poorer accuracy when compared with combustion at 950°C. Above 550 °C calcium carbonate decomposes and produces peaks which overlap with those of organic carbon. An accurate correction for carbonate in the results of organic carbon analysis cannot thus be established, in practice, and separate determinations of total and inorganic carbon should be carried out, organic carbon being obtained by subtraction. To achieve the most accurate results the use of 950… 1000°C is recommended for the determination of both total, and carbonate, carbon. |
