Performance of a microwave induced plasma (MIP) operated in a liquid-cooled discharge tube for atomic emission spectrometry

Abstract

Different types of microwave induced plasma (MIP) discharge operated in liquid-cooled tubes, namely a glass tube of Duran ®, a quartz tube of Herasil ®, and a very simple demountable discharge tube made of glass and quartz have been investigated. The last tube leads to the best analytical properties and the longest lifetime. The intensities of silicon lines and of the continuum spectral background, together with the signal-to-background ratios for B, Ca, Cd, Co and Zn in the case of the pneumatic nebulization of solutions have been measured and used as an indicator for the cooling efficiency. The MIP torch was cooled with a thermostated silicon oil. The decrease of the temperature of the cooling medium causes a measurable decrease of the spectral background intensity. Diagnostic measurements of the plasma include radial profiles of spectral line intensities and excitation temperatures with the lines of Fe I; values of 5000–6000 K are found. The influence of different plasma parameters, e.g. microwave power and helium flow rate, is investigated. The preliminary analytical characterization of a helium MIP maintained with the liquid-cooled demountable discharge tube is presented. Limits of detection for Al, B, Ca, Co, Fe, P, Sb and Zn (between 0.002 and 1.2 μg ml −1) are comparable with or better than those reported for low power helium MIPs with sample introduction in the form of a wet aerosol.