A large bore-direct injection high efficiency nebulizer for inductively coupled plasma spectrometry

Abstract

A large bore-direct injection high efficiency nebulizer (IB-DIHEN) is introduced that is less prone to capillary blockage and optimally operates at low nebulizer gas pressures compared with the conventional DIHEN used for inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectrometries. The aerosol quality is examined using a two-dimensional phase Doppler particle analyzer (2D PDPA), and analytical figures of merits are acquired by ICP mass spectrometry. Compared with the DIHEN, the LB-DIHEN produces larger droplets, but the velocity distributions and mean droplet velocities are narrower and lower, respectively, providing longer residence times for the droplets in the plasma. High RF power (1500 W), low nebulizer gas flow rates (0.25-0.35 L/min), and low solution uptake rates (80-110 microL/min) are required to operate the LB-DIHEN at optimum conditions for ICPMS. Detection limits and sensitivities measured with the LB-DIHEN are superior to those of a conventional nebulizer-spray chamber combination, but precision is inferior. The performance of the LB-DIHEN is further explored in the determination of trace elements in an herbal extract.