Ion chromatography: A comprehensive review of sample preparation methods for analysis of halogens and allied nonmetals in critically challenging inorganic matrices.

The inorganic matrices such as metal concentrates, steel, cement, glass, clay, coal, graphite, rocks and sediments, ores etc. play a pivotal role in infrastructure development, transportation, and energy. The presence of non-metallic elements particularly halogens influence their quality, processing cost, and environment dynamics. The analysis of non-metals in such matrices is critically challenging due to their hardness, rigidity, and non-digestibility. This comprehensive review provides a critical comparison of various sample preparation methods in conjunction with pros and cons of advanced techniques for the detection of non-metals in complex matrices, particularly focusing on ion chromatography. Moreover, the review also addresses the challenges related to the enrichment and automation of non-metals analysis. In addition, the previous literature on non-metals determination in diverse range of inorganic matrices has been tabulated for the first time. These insights are intended to guide researchers, quality control analysts, environmental scientists, and policymakers in enhancing pollution monitoring and control strategies.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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