TOC, short for <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.leco.com/documents/203-821-679/?_gl=1*1gfpag2*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTA1NDA5NTg5OC4xNzc5NjQwNTM1*_ga_KRDSR1XM7X*czE3Nzk2NDA1MzQkbzEkZzAkdDE3Nzk2NDA1MzQkajYwJGwwJGgw*_ga_K8NYKVEKHY*czE3Nzk2NDA1MzQkbzEkZzAkdDE3Nzk2NDA1MzQkajYwJGwwJGgxOTI5MTg0MDYz">Total Organic Carbon</a>, is an important metric when analyzing soil health. Soils with high TOC content indicate high levels of biodiversity, as organic carbon fuels microbial activity. This enhanced biodiversity is incredibly beneficial to the soil. It boosts nutrient cycling and natural disease suppression, while also contributing to overall soil fertility and plant productivity.Soil biodiversity also leads to better water retention. Organic carbon binds soil particles together to make stable aggregates, which improves the overall soil structure and allows it to retain more water. This feat encourages overall plant health and the sequestration of carbon. Soils with low TOC content, however, experience limited biodiversity, leading to poor soil structure, greater amounts of erosion, and reduced crop yields.<h3>The Challenges of Determining TOC</h3>It’s important for stakeholders in the agriculture industry to pay special attention to the TOC levels in their soils if they want to get the most out of their crops. Knowing TOC levels helps to avoid blind addition of nutrients to soil, potentially cutting out unnecessary labor and costs. However, analyzing soil for TOC does come with its own set of challenges.For example, accurately distinguishing between organic and inorganic carbon requires effective separation of carbon species during analysis.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/products/1845"> LECO’s RC612 </a>addresses this challenge through its temperature differentiation method, precisely controlling oxidation and decomposition conditions to selectively quantify carbon fractions. Alternatively, the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/products/1883">C832</a>’s acid pretreatment method ensures reliable removal of inorganic carbon prior to combustion for accurate measurement of organic carbon.These approaches help mitigate common challenges such as incomplete carbonate removal, sample heterogeneity, or incomplete oxidation. While careful sample preparation remains important, leveraging instruments specifically designed to manage these variables is key to achieving precise, repeatable TOC results.<h3>Trust LECO with Your TOC</h3>Researchers and engineers at LECO have worked hard to continuously provide instrumentation that meets or exceeds expected performance. With a line of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/products?category=352&amp;manufacturerItems=24">carbon analyzers</a> that are suitable for TOC and more, you can trust LECO with your results, and you can count on our <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.leco.com/support/?_gl=1*13d4rug*_up*MQ..*_ga*MzkzNTEwNzk1LjE3Nzk2NDA0NzQ.*_ga_K8NYKVEKHY*czE3Nzk2NDA0NzQkbzEkZzAkdDE3Nzk2NDA0NzQkajYwJGwwJGgzMzYyNzIxMzU.*_ga_KRDSR1XM7X*czE3Nzk2NDA0NzQkbzEkZzAkdDE3Nzk2NDA0NzQkajYwJGwwJGgw#">superior service</a> when your lab needs it. But don’t take our word for it—read and then click on the quotes below to discover what three different labs in countries across Europe had to say about their LECO instruments for TOC analysis:<blockquote>“We have been using these instruments since 2009, and every time they release a new version, we are impressed. They are very robust instruments, with very simple daily maintenance; they are built to work. Analysis times are very short, and their robustness, accuracy, repeatability, and precision are excellent. In short, they are instruments designed to work—the more we use them, the better they perform.”Paco San Nicolás, Head of the Ionomics Service at The Center for Soil Science and Applied Biology of Segura (CEBAS-CSIC), Murcia, Spain</blockquote>CEBAS-CSIC is a leading research center in Spain, critical for advancing sustainable soil and water management.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/leco_interview_with_paco_san_nicolas_csic_cebas_7c53cbb753.pdf">Read the entire interview with Paco.</a><blockquote>“…This allows us to determine the organic carbon content. In this way, we obtain both mineral and organic carbon values (TC/TOC/TIC).”“What was less common was applying a similar approach to sulfur. Existing standards dealing with sulfur mainly focus on coal but not soils. So, we combined and adapted different standards to develop a methodology suitable for soils and other geomaterials containing sulfur/sulfate species, and we now transferred this method to professional applications.”Myriam Duc, Researcher, and François Lansac, Engineering Assistant Université Gustave Eiffel, France</blockquote>Myriam Duc is known for her work regarding clay behavior, soil stabilization, and sustainable construction materials. Université Gustave Eiffel is both a university and a major research organization with a primary focus on sustainable urban development.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/leco_interview_with_universite_gustave_eiffel_ee64b83ece.pdf">Read their entire interview.</a><blockquote>“They (LECO instruments, including the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/products/1843">RC612</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/products/1884">CHN828</a>, and AC600) are an essential part of our analysis work. We don’t use them every day, but we rely on them regularly and they are very important for our daily work. Reliability is an important feature here.”Maria Lehtinen, Lab Manager Kuusakoski’s Research Center, Lahti, Finland</blockquote>Kuusakoski’s Research Centre focuses on advancing recycling technology and material recovery. Their mission is to restore value to waste and recover precious metals from waste more efficiently.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/leco_interview_with_kuusakoski_research_centre_dca94b5485.pdf">Read the entire interview with Maria.</a>

Gain Confidence in Your Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Data

Alloys are formed when a metal is combined with another element to strengthen the base metal’s properties. Basically, an alloy is just a modified metal. Superalloys are similar, but these specific high-performance materials are held to a higher standard. They are typically nickel-based, cobalt-based, titanium-based, or iron-based.&nbsp;To be classified as a superalloy, the alloy must be able to reliably function under extremely high temperatures, possess superior strength and surface stability, and must be resistant to thermal creep deformation. Strong corrosion and oxidation resistance are also features of superalloys, but it’s important to note that they are not impervious to oxidation over time if protective measures are not taken. Unfortunately, even when protective measures are taken, contaminants like sulfur threaten to render that protection useless.<h4>Why is Protection from Oxidation Important?</h4>Oxidation negatively affects a superalloy by weakening its strength, which over time can lead to embrittlement and cracking. Since high-performance materials like superalloys are mainly used and relied on in industries like aerospace and nuclear energy, it is crucial that these materials perform as intended. Material failures could be the difference between life and death, in some circumstances.<h4>Selective Oxidation</h4>To make superalloys even more indestructible and shield against oxidation, selective oxidation is performed. With selective oxidation, superalloys are designed to oxidize in a way that creates a protective layer of oxidized material that “covers” the alloy, keeping the alloy’s inner structure from oxygen invasion. However, this means that in order to keep protecting the superalloy’s infrastructure, the protective oxidized layer needs to remain stable and intact.<h4>Sulfur: A Dangerous Threat</h4>The presence of sulfur, even at trace levels, can interfere with the selective oxidation process. Sulfur degrades that protective layer, leaving the superalloy vulnerable to negative oxidation and shortening its useful lifespan. Therefore, the accurate determination of sulfur content, down to the tenth of a microgram, is paramount for ensuring optimal performance and longevity in superalloys.<h4>A Combustion Technique for Ultimate Confidence</h4>Historically, the only way to accurately determine ultra-low levels of sulfur was with<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/products/1842"> glow discharge mass spectrometry (GD-MS)</a>, due to its high sensitivity. Now, even combustion methods can be used when paired with the right instruments, like<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/products/1879"> LECO’s CS844ES.</a>&nbsp;<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/LECO_rada_844_Analyza_uhliku_a_siry_spalovaci_metodou_18532af2ef.jpg" alt="LECO: Superalloys and Sulfur: How Even Trace Amounts Can Be Detrimental: LECO 844 Series Combustion Analysis for Carbon and Sulfur." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_LECO_rada_844_Analyza_uhliku_a_siry_spalovaci_metodou_18532af2ef.jpg 139w," sizes="100vw" width="710" height="792">The CS844ES uses high-frequency combustion and intelligent carrier gas management with infrared detection to reach a detection limit of approximately 0.1μg, guaranteeing even trace amounts of sulfur will be detected and ensuring confident quality control of superalloys. The sensitivity, ease-of-use, and speed of this instrument make it a reliable tool for any lab. Plus, the cost of combustion instrumentation is significantly lower than GD-MS, making it a practical choice as well.<h4>More About Sulfur and Superalloys</h4>Since superalloys make up fundamental parts of aerospace equipment, medical devices, and more, knowing that they will perform as they are supposed to is paramount. Feeling confident in sulfur level results can be achieved through specialized combustion techniques, avoiding costly GD-MS.&nbsp;To learn more about LECO’s CS844ES, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/CS_844_844_ES_S_STEEL_NICKEL_SUPERALLOYS_203_821_540_9f6feba049.pdf">download this app note</a> that details how the instrument performed when testing steel, nickel, and superalloys. You can also <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/products/1879">visit our website</a> to read more about the instrument and<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/209_214_5c92613a24.pdf"> download a brochure.</a> To learn more about how LECO serves the high-performance materials industry, visit our<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.leco.com/applications/high-performance-materials/"> High Performance Materials Resource Hub.</a>

Superalloys and Sulfur: How Even Trace Amounts Can Be Detrimental

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In 1936, the Laboratory Equipment Company introduced the first rapid carbon determinator for the American iron and steel industry.  Today, almost 80 years later, LECO is recognized globally as a leader in the development of high-quality analytical instrumentation, mass spectrometers, comprehensive two-dimensional chromatography, metallography & optical equipment as well as consumables.

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