Download or read book Interagency Comparison of Respirable Quartz Analysis written by Charles W. Huggins and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 61 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An interagency investigation was conducted to compare results from five laboratories using infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques to quantitatively determine the quartz content of respirable coal mine dust. The importance of using a quartz standard having the same particle size distribution as the samples analyzed is underscored for both analytical methods. High-temperature ashing techniques in sample preparation were found to contribute to analytical error. Various factors in the preparation of quartz standards are examined, including quartz materials, matrix, and filter type. Laboratories taking precautions to minimize the effects of variation sources discovered during these investigations will be able to place greater confidence in their determinations of quartz in respirable dusts.