Laser-excited atomic fluorescence spectrometry as a practical analytical method. Part 2. Evaluation of a graphite tube atomiser for the determination of trace amounts of indium, gallium, aluminium, vanadium and iridium by LAFS

Abstract

The performance of a new tube atomiser design for the laser-excited atomic fluorescence (LAFS) technique was evaluated and compared with a laboratory-made carbon rod atomiser for the determination of the elements indium, gallium, aluminium, vanadium and iridium. The tube atomiser is a modified commercial HGA-500/EA 3. The atomic fluorescence is measured within the tube. There was a considerable improvement in the detection limits, sensitivities and reproducibilities obtained with the tube atomiser in comparison with the rod atomiser, especially for elements of low volatility. The influence of halide matrices (F–, Cl– and Br–) on the fluorescence intensity of indium was investigated for the rod atomiser, tube-wall atomisation and tube-platform atomisation where the L'vov platform technique was used. With the tube atomisation the influence of the matrix was reduced further by using the L'vov platform technique.