Comparison of the Results of Scintillation Atomic Emission Analysis Obtained on Spectral System “Potok” and a Two-Jet Arc Plasmatron “Fakel”

Abstract

Gold, palladium, and platinum contents are determined by scintillation atomic-emission spectral analysis of comparison standard specimens made of standard GSO KP-1 (Platinum Concentrate sample) using its serial dilution with a pure graphite powder. Two spectral systems (“Grand-Potok” and “Grand Fakel”) which differ only in the source of spectrum excitation were used: “Potok” (an electric arc device for analysis of powder samples by the spill-injection method) and “Fakel” (a two-jet arc plasmatron). It is shown that the detection limits of noble metals determined on a “Grand Fakel” spectral system are lower than those obtained on the “Grand Potok” spectral system: 56 times lower for gold, 11 times for palladium, and 77 times for platinum. The measured plasma temperature in the sources was 5346 K (“Potok”) and 7478 K (“Fakel”). It is shown that increase in the plasma temperature entails significant 10-fold increase in the spectral line intensity of the analytes which determines the advantage of a two-jet arc plasmatron in the detection of noble metals.