DETERMINATION OF SILICON BY FLAME PHOTOMETRY AND ATOMIC FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY WITH A SEPARATED NITROUS OXIDE-ACETYLENE FLAME

The flame photometry and atomic fluorescence spectroscopy of silicon in nitrogen and argon separated nitrous oxide-acetylene flames have been investigated. The high-temperature, reducing, fuel-rich, argon-separated flame permits the detection of down to 5 and 0.55 p.p.m. of silicon in aqueous solution by flame photometry and atomic fluorescence, respectively. A silicon microwave-excited electrode-less discharge tube was prepared and used for excitation of the atomic fluorescence. The optimum conditions for the determination of silicon by both techniques have been investigated. The fluorescence technique showed no interference from hundredfold amounts (relative to silicon) of 23 ions, but 5 ions interfered in the determination by flame photometry. The fluorescence technique was also largely free from quenching and scatter effects in the presence of these extraneous ions. © 1969.