Optical emission spectrometry with an inductively coupled radiofrequency argon plasma source and sample introduction with a graphite rod electrothermal vaporisation device. Part I. Instrumental assembly and performance characteristics

Abstract

A system is described in which a graphite rod electrothermal vaporisation device is employed for the introduction of microlitre liquid samples, after desolvation, into an inductively coupled argon plasma source for atomisation and excitation for optical emission spectrometry. The analytical performance of the system has been studied and detection limits for 16 elements at the sub-nanogram level are presented.