Atomic spectrometry update. Industrial analysis: metals, chemicals and advanced materials

Abstract

This atomic spectrometry update is the latest in an annual series under the title ‘Industrial Analysis’. Again, the writing team has remained unchanged this year. Solid sampling techniques are still proving extremely popular for the industrial type samples because many of them are hard to dissolve/digest. As well as perennial favourites such as the X-ray techniques that, in general, are regarded as being non-sample destructive, laser ablation and glow discharge, which cause minimal sample loss, are also gaining ground. The use of LIBS is growing rapidly and it is appearing in application sectors where it had not previously. There has been a large increase of interest in the biomedical subject areas. Proteomics has had several applications featured, as has the detection of several drug/drug metabolites. Similarly, the interaction of drugs with compounds that are present naturally has also been studied. Even biocompatible ceramics for use in orthopaedic applications have been studied in this review period. The nuclear section is still dominated by the determination of depleted uranium. This topic looks as if it could run for a few years yet. As always, the glass section is split largely between archaeological determinations and forensic applications, although some new XRF instrumentation was also reported. In the semiconductor and conducting materials section, there has been an increase in the development and characterisation of solar cells.