A Dual Microwave-Induced Plasma System with Direct Solution Introduction for Atomic Emission Spectrometry

Abstract

A dual microwave-induced plasma (MIP) for atomic emission spectroscopic (AES) system is described. The first plasma with low power (95 W) and low argon flow (<550 ml/min) is used as a sampling device to desolvate and vaporize liquid samples into gaseous particles which are subsequently transported to a second plasma (100 W) for atomization and excitation. The detection limits obtained for direct liquid aerosol introduction of Ca, Cr, Mn, and Sr solutions are 22, 60, 15, and 11 ng/ml, respectively. Signal precisions are <2.0% RSD for 5 ppm solutions and the linear response ranges are greater than 3 orders of magnitude.