[nortorian]

I've currently ran into a problem I was hoping I could get some help for... I'm working on a project to convert a waste stream into something we could burn in our boilers to save on fuel costs and waste disposal.  One of the hurdles is that I don't know what the silica content of the waste stream is and was curious to see if any of you knew of any testing I could perform to figure out trace silica levels?  I would like to not send samples for outside testing if there is an easy way to do it in my lab.  For info, the material is a brown/black fatty acid that is roughly the consistency of cake batter at room temp. Thank you for any help you can provide.

[Arkcon]

Trace levels of most elements can be determined by ICP-MS.  You can easily ship out a sample and find out.  But you don't want to do that.

Bulk determination of silica can be found in a variety of testing compendia.  The various pharmacopoeia for pharmaceutical testing or ASTM tests.  They will not detect trace level contaminants.

You will have to alter some of your qualifications, to get a practical answer.