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Abstract

A method and apparatus for sampling molten materials, such as metals and molten salt mixtures, for analysis by spectroscopy or other means involves forming small, preferably 'pin-like' samples by quickly drawing an amount of the molten material from a molten pool into a tubular element, referred to as a pipette, forming an elongated mould having a ratio of length to thickness of at least 2:1, allowing the molten material to cool and solidify in the pipette and then removing the solid sample from the pipette. The pipette is made of a material of high total heat capacity heat relative to the heat capacity of the sample material, i.e. in the ratio of 10-450:1, so that heat is quickly withdrawn from the molten material, allowing it to solidify within about 2 seconds or less. The sample of material is quickly withdrawn from the pool into the pipette by instantaneously creating a vacuum in the interior of the pipette, preferably by means of a syringe-like device or a rod snugly slidable within the internal bore of the pipette. The rapid cooling of the sample avoids lack of homogeneity within the solidified sample and the small size and elongated shape of the sample mean that all of the sample can be analyzed for greater accuracy and the sample easily and rapidly dissolves in solvents or reactants.

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