Direct solid sampling conductive heating vaporisation system for the determination of sulfur in steel without chemical treatment by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES)

Abstract

A vaporiser based on a drop-in-crucible is described. Sample is allowed to drop into a heated crucible (2000 °C) which makes it vaporise; it is subsequently introduced into an ICP. Since metallic tin present in the crucible acts as a chemical modifier, the sample is immediately fused with the tin to make an alloy of low melting point. During the melting process, the analyte sulfur reacts with the carbon from the inside wall of the crucible and is released as sulfide.