Ultrasonic nebulization with an infrared heated pre-evaporation tube for sample introduction in ICP-OES: application to geological and environmental samples

Improvement of analytical performance in inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry without compromising robustness using an infrared-heated sample introduction system with a pneumatic nebulizer

“…29 Replacing the heating tape with an infrared (IR) heater in a USN-PET system allowed vastly increased sample uptake rates because IR heating is more uniform and efficient than convective heating. 2 The efficacy of IR heating over conduction-convection based heating had also been demonstrated in earlier studies with the Mistral desolvation system for ICP OES. [30][31][32] Another enhanced PN sample introduction system is the torch-integrated sample introduction system (TISIS) being developed by Todolí and Mermet, which uses a micro-nebulizer coupled to a heated single-pass spray chamber to minimize washout time and memory effects without degrading sensitivity, stability and detection limits.…”

“…The continuous nebulization of solutions with dissolved solid content $0.2% m/v in ICP-MS leads to clogging of the sampler and/or skimmer cones, whereas no such problem exists in ICP OES. 2 Hence, a much greater degree of dissolved solid content can be tolerated in ICP OES, up to several % m/v in some cases. This translates into less sample dilution or pre-treatment and thus a higher sample throughput if the dilution or pre-treatment is not done on-line.…”

“…Large droplets that undergo desolvation and vaporization cool the plasma in the vicinity of smaller droplets, which have reached the atomization, ionization and/or excitation stage, thereby reducing the number of excited atoms and ions. 2 Thus, conditions that lead to smaller, or even vaporized, sample aerosol droplets will drastically reduce this source of noise.…”

“…24,26 Similarly, replacing the whole desolvation system of USN-HC-MD with a PET improved sensitivity, detection limit and plasma robustness in ICP OES. 2,27 The signicant improvements were attributed to the water vapor that was preserved by the PET, 27 in contrast to introducing water aerosol, which greatly increases the background noise level and decreases both the ionization temperature and the electron number density of the ICP. 19 Signicant improvement in sensitivity and detection limit was also demonstrated using a low sample consumption system with a spray chamber heated to 105 C. 28 Coupling a multi-mode sample introduction system (MSIS) with a USN-PET improved sensitivity and detection limits, in particular for hydride-forming elements.…”

Atomic spectrometry update: review of advances in atomic spectrometry and related techniques

“…The method was characterized, optimized, and applied to the determination of Co in a drug preparation, Pb in whole blood, and Sn in food samples without any sample pretreatment. Beauchemin et al 60,61 described the use of a preevaporation tube (PET) heated to 400 C, inserted between a multi-mode sample introduction system (MSIS) and the plasma torch for sample introduction to an ICP-AES. This modication improved the simultaneous determination of hydride forming and other elements compared with conventional sample introduction.…”