SIMULTANEOUS MULTIELEMENT DETERMINATION BY ATOMIC EMISSION WITH AN ECHELLE SPECTROMETER INTERFACED TO IMAGE DISSECTOR AND SILICON VIDICON TUBES

Silicon target vidicon and image dissector camera systems have been coupled to an echelle grating spectrometer for multielement determinations with a dc plasma excitation source. Spectral resolution expressed as full width at half height ranges from 0.4 to 0.9 A for the vidicon system and 0.2 to 0.7 A with the image dissector system, and wavelength calibration procedures permit locations of lines to be predicted to between 0.03 and 0.2 A for both systems. Effects of peak height and peak area measurements on signal-to-noise ratios for both detectors are evaluated. Results for multielement samples of alkali and alkaline earth and of transition metals obtained with the echelle spectrometer/image dissector are comparable in most respects to single element data obtained with conventional optics and detectors with the same plasma. Some interelement effects associated with the dc plasma are discussed. © 1978, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.