Glass Expansion Newsletter Issue 20 – page 1
Glass Expansion Newsletter • October 2009 • issue 20
A p p l i c at i o n S p o t l ig h t
T h e B a s i c s o f Sa m p l e T r an s p o r t in t o
an I CP S p e c t r o m e t e r
Introduction
The form of the sample as it
is injected into a torch has a
profound effect on the quality
of the analytical results for ICP
optical emission spectrometry
(ICP-OES) and ICP mass
spectrometry (ICP-MS). We
will examine the criteria for
optimum sample transport and
discuss the proper selection
of sample introduction
components and parameters.
Droplet Size
The mean droplet size of
the aerosol generated by
the combination of the
nebulizer and spray chamber
(conventionally regarded
as the tertiary aerosol)
G E N e w s
Winter
Conference
2010
A full range of Glass
Expansion products will
be on display at the 2010
Winter Conference on
Plasma Spectrochemistry,
Fort Myers, Florida,
January 4 – 9, 2010.
The display will include
nebulizers, spray
chambers, torches, RF
coils and accessories
(including the new TruFlo
Sample Monitor). Glass
Expansion specialists will
be on hand to answer your
questions and assist you
to choose the optimum
components for your ICP.
New ICP
Specialist
Dr Jol Desmarchelier has
joined our Australian office
as ICP Specialist. He has
a background in Earth
Sciences, particularly
using ICP-MS, and he
has previously worked at
University of Tasmania,
Australian National
University and Australian
Nuclear Science and
Technology Organisation.
Jol is working with Vesna
Dolic in our ICP laboratory
and he will enhance our
ability to solve problems
for ICP users and to help
them get the best possible
performance with their
applications. Jol can be
contacted at:
jdesmarchelier@geicp.com.
OBSERVATION ZONE
Fig. 1 Illustration of droplet vaporization and atomization in a radial plasma;
left: large droplet; right: small droplet
I n t h i s I s s u e
Application Spotlight 1
GE News 1
Hints for the operator 4-5
Instrument news 4-6
From Agilent Technologies
From Horiba Jobin Yvon
From PerkinElmer
From Spectro
From Teledyne Leeman Labs
From Thermo Fisher Scientific
From Varian
is an important parameter.
In essence, the smaller the
droplets, the better. Once the
droplet enters the plasma, it
must complete the desolvation
process (a process already
begun in the spray chamber)
followed by vaporization, and
atomization/ionization (and
emission in the case of OES)
in order to deliver signal to
the detector. The smaller the
droplet, the less energy is
required for desolvation and
atomization, creating a more
efficient emission process.
In fact, larger droplets that
reach the plasma may pass
through the observation
zone of the detector prior
to reaching the emission
or ionization state. Figure 1
demonstrates this effect for
a radially viewed plasma.
Droplet size also is positively
related to the degree of matrix
interference since larger
droplets contain more solvent
and solvent loading degrades
the tolerance of the plasma to
matrix1. The mean droplet size
is determined in two stages as
described below.
link