INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED ARGON PLASMA AS AN EXCITATION SOURCE FOR FLAME ATOMIC FLUORESCENCE SPECTROMETRY

An inductively-coupled argon plasma (ICAP) is used as a narrow line radiation source for the excitation of atomic fluorescence in several analytically useful flames (nitrogenseparated air/acetylene and nitrous oxide/acetylene). Detection limits for 14 elements are compared to atomic fluorescence detection limits using other radiation sources and to those of other atomic spectrometric techniques. Dominant noise sources which limit measurement precision at low and high concentrations and the significance of and correction for the scatter problem are discussed. The reduction of spectral interference observed in ICAP emission is demonstrated for the determination of zinc in unalloyed copper (NBS SRM-394 and-396). The technique is also applied to the determination of zinc in fly ash (NBS SRM-1633), cadmium and zinc in simulated fresh water (NBS SRM-1643), copper and zinc In orange juice. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.