Characterization of a Modified,Low-Power Argon Microwave Plasma Torch (MPT) as an Atomization Cell for Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry

Abstract

A microwave plasma torch (MPT) has been newly modified and used as an atomization cell for atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). The analytical performance of the MPT-AFS system has been characterized with hollow cathode lamps (HCLs) working in the pulsed mode as an excitation source and a pneumatic nebulizer for aqueous sample introduction. The method exhibits a relatively large dynamic range over at least three orders of magnitude in concentration and fairly good precision in a range from 0.42% (Zn) to 4.9% (Ag). It was found that observation height, microwave power, and plasma support-gas flow rate have an important influence on the performance of MPT-AFS. The detection limits obtained by the new MPT-AFS system are in a range from 0.25 (Cd) to 121 (As) ng/mL for ten elements examined. A comparison of MPT-AFS with other plasma AFS approaches suggests several advantages of the MPT source as an atomizer for AFS.

Keywords

Microwave plasma torch Atomic fluorescence spectrometry Elemental determination Pneumatic nebulizer Atomization cell

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Broida

H. P.

and Chapman

M. W.

, Anal. Chem. 30, 2049 (1958).

Beenakker

C. I. M.

, Spectrochim. Acta 31B, 483 (1976).

Moisan

and Beautry

, and LePrince

, IEEE Trans. Pla. Sci. PS-3, 55 (1975).

Hubert

and Moisan

, and Richard

, Spectrochim. Acta 34B, 1 (1979).

Matousek

J. P.

and Orr

, and Selby

, Prog. Atom. Spectrosc. 7, 275 (1984).

Douglas

D. J.

and French

J. B.

, Anal. Chem. 53, 37 (1981).

Duan

and Jin

, and Hieftje

G. M.

, Spectrochim. Acta 49B, 137 (1994).

Duan

and Jin

, and Hieftje

G. M.

, Spectrochim. Acta 50B (1995), paper in press.

Ling

Zhang

and Bing

, and Jin

, ICP Information Newslett. 14(3), 166 (1988).

10.

K. C.

Jensen

R. S.

and Brechmann

M. J

, and Santos

W. C.

, Anal. Chem. 60, 2821 (1988).

11.

Duan

Huo

and Du

, and Jin

, Appl. Spectrosc. 47, 1871 (1993).

12.

Duan

and Li

, and Jin

, J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 8, 1091 (1993).

13.

K. C.

and Garner

T. J.

, Appl. Spectrosc. 47, 241 (1993).

14.

Perkins

L. D.

and Long

G. L.

, Appl. Spectrosc. 42, 1285 (1988).

15.

Perkins

L. D.

and Long

G. L.

, Appl. Spectrosc. 43, 499 (1989).

16.

Duan

Kong

Zhang

and Liu

, and Jin

, J. Atom. Anal. Spectrom. 7, 7 (1992).

17.

Jin

Yang

Liu

and Zhang

, and Ben

, 1985 Pittsburgh Conference Abstracts, #1171.

18.

Jin

Zhu

and Borer

M. W

, and Hieftje

G. M.

, Spectrochim. Acta 46B, 417 (1991).

19.

Duan

Zhang

and Huo

, and Jin

, Spectrochim. Acta 49B, 583 (1994).

20.

Greenfield

and Malcolm

K. F. M

, and Thomsen

. J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 2, 711 (1987).

21.

Greenfield

Durrani

T. M.

and Tyson

J. F

, and Watson

C. A.

, Spectrochim. Acta 45B, 341 (1990).

22.

Jin

Zhang

Duan

and Ren

, and Zhang

, Microchem. J. 44, 153 (1991).

23.

Huang

Hanselman

D. S.

and Jin

, and Hieftje

G. M.

, Spectrochim. Acta 45B, 1339 (1990).

24.

Zander

A. T.

and Hieftje

G. M.

, Appl. Spectrosc. 35, 357 (1981).

25.

Duan

and Liu

, and Jin

, Fenxi Huaxue 21, 610 (1993).

26.

Leprince

and Matthieussant

, and Allis

W. P.

, J. Appl. Phys. 42, 412 (1971).

27.

Demers

D. R.

and Allemand

C. D.

, Anal. Chem. 53, 1915 (1981).

28.

Demers

D. R.

and Montaser

, in Inductively Coupled Plasma in Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, Montaser

and Golightly

D. W.

, Eds. (VCH Publishers, New York, 1992), 2nd ed., Chap. 11.

29.

Duan

and Tian

, and Jin

, Anal. Chim. Acta 295, 315 (1994).

30.

Duan

and Du

, and Jin

, J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 9, 629 (1994).