Quantitative detection of sodium content in feed additive sodium chloride based on EDXRF method

Abstract

BackgroundSodium is one of the essential mineral elements necessary for metabolism in all animals. It is very important to accurately detect sodium content in feed additive for livestock and poultry breeding, which can greatly enhance the added value of farm-raising production.PurposeThis study aims to propose a new method for measuring the content of sodium in feed additives by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis.MethodsThe method combined chemical methods with EDXRF to accurately detect the content of sodium in feed additive sodium chloride. Firstly, samples were treated to prepare test samples and standard samples, respectively. By means of chemical reaction, the content of sodium element in the sample was completely converted into iron element, and then precipitated. Secondly, based on the process, a group of standard samples with different iron contents were prepared to seek the net area of characteristic peaks of iron element for EDXRF analysis. The relation curve between iron content and the net area of characteristic peak was found and served as the standard curve. Then the net area of characteristic iron peaks in the test samples were measured by EDXRF. The measured values were substituted into the standard curve to obtain the iron content in the precipitation. The sodium content in the sample was determined by the precipitation mass, the iron content in the precipitation and the relationship between iron element and sodium element in the product precipitation. Finally, the best excitation conditions of iron element were determined by relationship curve between characteristic peak-to-back ratio of iron element and excitation conditions.ResultsObtained optimum tube voltage and current for best excitation conditions of iron element are 25 kV and 11 µA, respectively. The measuring accuracy of sodium content in feed additive sodium chloride is 39.02% with relative average deviation of 0.27% and relative standard deviation of 0.32%.ConclusionsThe measured results are basically in good agreement with that obtained by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence. Proposed method in this study for the determination of sodium in feed additive sodium chloride has the characteristics of good repeatability and strong operability, providing a new method for the determination and analysis of sodium in feed additive sodium chloride.

Keywords

• feed additive
• sodium
• energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence