Atomic Spectrometry Update—Industrial Analysis: Metals, Chemicals and Advanced Materials

Abstract

This Atomic Spectrometry Update is the latest in an annual series appearing under the title of ‘Industrial Analysis’. The structure of the review is broadly the same as in previous years. Reports on the analysis of catalysts have been moved from the ceramics and refractories section into the chemicals section of the review. It is hoped that this categorization will better reflect the interest in these materials in the petrochemicals industry.

The year in which major developments in instrumental analytical chemistry begin can usually only be identified with the benefit of hindsight. It has been evident for some time that where sensitivity and selectivity are required, mass spectrometric techniques have begun to dominate the field of atomic spectrometry. Pressures on industry to improve productivity have favoured rapid multi-element techniques such as ICP-MS, and the advent of a viable solid sampling option in LA has provided a very powerful tool for product and process investigation. The identification of chemical form continues to grow in importance, and the use of atomic spectrometry coupled with chromatography has become a significant area of research in the chemicals industry. Surface analysis techniques based on MS (e.g., SIMS, GDMS) still make an enormous contribution to the characterization of semiconductors. However, TXRF is now making a significant impact in this field, as a consequence of the high sensitivity of the technique and its applicability to the non-destructive analysis of wafers and thin films. The advent of r.f. boosted GDs represents a promising development but it remains to be seen whether practical advantages over more conventional techniques such as WDXRF can be demonstrated in an industrial context.