{"id":1889,"date":"2026-06-05T23:14:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T06:14:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.songhaiflanges.com\/?p=1889"},"modified":"2026-06-05T23:14:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T06:14:03","slug":"gbt-4336-2016-english-translation-spark-oes-carbon-low-alloy-steel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.songhaiflanges.com\/zh\/gbt-4336-2016-english-translation-spark-oes-carbon-low-alloy-steel\/","title":{"rendered":"GB\/T 4336-2016 English Translation: Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel Multi-Element Determination by Spark OES"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>GB\/T 4336-2016<\/strong> specifies a routine spark discharge atomic emission spectrometric method for determining multiple elements in carbon steel and low-alloy steel. This English translation is provided for engineers, inspectors, purchasing teams, and flange material specialists who need a practical reference for chemical analysis requirements.<\/p>\n<h2>Standard Information<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Standard number:<\/strong> GB\/T 4336-2016<\/li>\n<li><strong>Chinese title:<\/strong> Carbon and low-alloy steel &#8211; Determination of multi-element contents &#8211; Spark discharge atomic emission spectrometric method (routine method)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Issued:<\/strong> February 24, 2016<\/li>\n<li><strong>Implemented:<\/strong> November 1, 2016<\/li>\n<li><strong>Replaces:<\/strong> GB\/T 4336-2002<\/li>\n<li><strong>ICS:<\/strong> 77.080.20<\/li>\n<li><strong>CCS:<\/strong> H 11<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>1. Scope<\/h2>\n<p>This standard describes the method for determining the contents of carbon, silicon, manganese, phosphorus, sulfur, chromium, nickel, tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, aluminum, titanium, copper, niobium, cobalt, boron, zirconium, arsenic, and tin in carbon steel and medium\/low-alloy steel by spark discharge atomic emission spectrometry.<\/p>\n<p>It applies to cast, forged, and rolled carbon steel and low-alloy steel samples produced by electric furnace, induction furnace, electroslag furnace, converter furnace, and similar metallurgical processes.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Determination Ranges<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Element<\/th>\n<th>Measurement range, mass fraction %<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>C<\/td>\n<td>0.03-1.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Si<\/td>\n<td>0.17-1.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mn<\/td>\n<td>0.07-2.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>P<\/td>\n<td>0.01-0.07<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>S<\/td>\n<td>0.008-0.05<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Cr<\/td>\n<td>0.1-3.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ni<\/td>\n<td>0.009-4.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>W<\/td>\n<td>0.06-1.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mo<\/td>\n<td>0.03-1.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>V<\/td>\n<td>0.1-0.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Al<\/td>\n<td>0.03-0.16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ti<\/td>\n<td>0.015-0.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Cu<\/td>\n<td>0.02-1.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Nb<\/td>\n<td>0.02-0.12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Co<\/td>\n<td>0.004-0.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>B<\/td>\n<td>0.0008-0.011<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Zr<\/td>\n<td>0.006-0.07<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>As<\/td>\n<td>0.004-0.014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sn<\/td>\n<td>0.006-0.02<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>3. Normative References<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>GB\/T 6379.1, Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results &#8211; Part 1: General principles and definitions.<\/li>\n<li>GB\/T 6379.2, Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results &#8211; Part 2: Basic method for determining repeatability and reproducibility of a standard measurement method.<\/li>\n<li>GB\/T 20066, Steel and iron &#8211; Sampling and preparation of samples for determining chemical composition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>4. Principle<\/h2>\n<p>A prepared solid sample is excited by spark discharge between the sample and a counter electrode. Plasma is generated in a high-temperature inert-gas atmosphere. Atoms of the measured elements are excited, and characteristic spectral lines are emitted when electrons transition from higher to lower energy levels. The spectral intensity of the selected analytical lines and internal standard lines is measured. The element content is then calculated from the relationship between spectral intensity, or intensity ratio, and element concentration using a calibration curve.<\/p>\n<h2>5. Instruments<\/h2>\n<p>The spark discharge atomic emission spectrometer mainly includes a stable spark excitation source, spark chamber, argon system, counter electrode, spectrometer, and photometric system.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The spark chamber is designed for inert gas flushing and supports flat samples and rod-shaped counter electrodes.<\/li>\n<li>The argon system includes gas cylinders, two-stage pressure regulation, flowmeters, and timing control for gas flow. Argon purity should be at least 99.995%; purification is required if this purity cannot be ensured.<\/li>\n<li>Typical counter electrodes are 4 mm to 8 mm in diameter, conical at the tip, and made of tungsten or other suitable high-purity electrode material.<\/li>\n<li>The spectrometer generally uses a wavelength range of 165.0 nm to 410.0 nm and operates under vacuum below 3 Pa or with high-purity inert gas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>6. Sampling and Sample Preparation<\/h2>\n<p>Sampling and preparation are carried out according to GB\/T 20066. Samples should be uniform and free from shrinkage cavities and cracks. For cast samples, molten steel is poured into a specified mold; when aluminum is used for deoxidation, the deoxidizer content should not exceed 0.35%. For steel products, a representative location should be selected.<\/p>\n<p>The analytical surface must be flat and clean, large enough to cover the excitation aperture of the spark stand, typically with a diameter greater than 16 mm and a thickness greater than 2 mm. Standard samples and analytical samples should be ground under the same conditions without overheating.<\/p>\n<h2>7. Standard Samples, Standardization Samples, and Control Samples<\/h2>\n<p>Standard samples are used to prepare calibration curves and should have chemical properties and microstructures close to those of the analytical samples. They should cover the content range of the analytical elements with suitable gradation, and their assigned values must be determined by accurate and reliable methods.<\/p>\n<p>Standardization samples are used to correct instrument drift from the original calibration curve. One or two uniform samples with suitable contents may be used. For two-point standardization, values are selected near the upper and lower limits of each element calibration curve.<\/p>\n<p>Control samples have metallurgical processes, structures, and chemical compositions similar to the analytical samples. They are used to correct analytical results or for type-standardization correction.<\/p>\n<h2>8. Instrument Preparation<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Place the spectrometer in a clean, vibration-protected laboratory. Typical room temperature is 15 \u00b0C to 30 \u00b0C, relative humidity is below 80%, and temperature variation in one standardization cycle should not exceed 5 \u00b0C.<\/li>\n<li>Power supply voltage variation should be less than +\/-10%, frequency variation less than +\/-2%, and the AC supply should be sinusoidal. A dedicated grounding line should be provided.<\/li>\n<li>The excitation source, counter electrode, optical system, and photometric system should be warmed up, cleaned, traced, adjusted, and stabilized according to instrument requirements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>9. Calibration<\/h2>\n<p>Under selected working conditions, a series of standard samples is excited. In principle, more than five levels of standard samples are used, and each sample is excited at least three times. A calibration curve is drawn from the relationship between luminous intensity, or intensity ratio, and the content, or content ratio, of the analytical element.<\/p>\n<p>The original calibration curve method uses standardization samples to correct drift caused by temperature, humidity, vibration, spectral-line displacement, or changes in luminous intensity. The control sample method corrects differences caused by metallurgical process and structure between standard samples and analytical samples.<\/p>\n<h2>10. Analysis Conditions and Procedure<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Item<\/th>\n<th>Recommended condition<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Analysis gap<\/td>\n<td>3 mm-6 mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Argon flushing flow<\/td>\n<td>3 L\/min-15 L\/min<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Argon measurement flow<\/td>\n<td>2.5 L\/min-10 L\/min<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Argon standby flow<\/td>\n<td>0 L\/min-1 L\/min<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Pre-burn time<\/td>\n<td>3 s-20 s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Integration time<\/td>\n<td>2 s-20 s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Discharge mode<\/td>\n<td>High-energy discharge during pre-burn and low-energy discharge during integration<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Before analysis, prepare the instrument as required, excite one sample two to five times to confirm optimal working condition, standardize the calibration curve, verify the curve with at least one standard sample, and then excite each analytical sample at least twice. The acceptability of the results and the final reported result are determined according to the repeatability requirements.<\/p>\n<h2>11. Calculation of Analytical Results<\/h2>\n<p>The content of each analytical element is obtained from the calibration curve according to the relative intensity or absolute intensity of the analytical line. The result must fall within the content range of the standard sample series used for the calibration curve.<\/p>\n<h2>12. Precision and Acceptance of Results<\/h2>\n<p>The precision study for this standard was carried out by multiple laboratories on low-alloy and medium\/low-alloy steel samples. Repeatability limits and reproducibility limits are calculated according to the equations given in the standard. Under repeatability conditions, two independent results are acceptable if their absolute difference is not greater than the repeatability limit. If the difference is greater than the limit, one or two additional measurements are made and the final result is determined from the mean or median according to the specified acceptance procedure.<\/p>\n<h2>13. Determination of Laboratory Accuracy<\/h2>\n<p>Under reproducibility conditions, the laboratory measures a standard sample and compares the arithmetic mean with the certified value. Critical difference calculations are used to judge whether the laboratory result is acceptable at the specified confidence level, with standard sample uncertainty considered when it is not negligible.<\/p>\n<h2>14. Test Report<\/h2>\n<p>The test report should include sample identification, laboratory information, test date, the reference standard, analytical results and their expression, the analytical line used, any abnormal observations, and any optional or non-standard operations that may affect the results.<\/p>\n<h2>Original Chinese PDF<\/h2>\n<p>The original Chinese PDF is embedded below for reference. It is not translated in the embedded file.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.songhaiflanges.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GBT-4336-2016-carbon-low-alloy-steel-spark-oes-original-cn.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Download the original GB\/T 4336-2016 PDF<\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.songhaiflanges.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GBT-4336-2016-carbon-low-alloy-steel-spark-oes-original-cn.pdf\" width=\"100%\" height=\"760\" style=\"border:1px solid #d9d9d9;\"><\/iframe><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>GB\/T 4336-2016 specifies a routine spark discharge atomic emission spectrometric method for determining multiple elements in carbon steel and low-alloy steel. This English&#8230;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[450,154,452,436,448,451,449,425],"class_list":["post-1889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-3-news","tag-atomic-emission-spectrometry","tag-carbon-steel","tag-chemical-analysis","tag-flange-materials","tag-gb-t-4336-2016","tag-low-alloy-steel","tag-spark-oes","tag-steel-standards"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.songhaiflanges.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.songhaiflanges.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.songhaiflanges.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.songhaiflanges.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.songhaiflanges.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1889"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.songhaiflanges.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1889\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1890,"href":"https:\/\/www.songhaiflanges.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1889\/revisions\/1890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.songhaiflanges.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.songhaiflanges.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.songhaiflanges.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}