Influence of the operating conditions on the efficiency of internal standardization in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

The possibility of efficient internal standardization and the selection of the number of internal standards are discussed in relation to the operating conditions in ICP-AES. In particular, emphasis is placed on the robustness of the conditions obtained by using a high power and a long residence time. Changes in both the energy transfer and the aerosol production and transport were studied in terms of their effect on internal standardization. Changes in the aerosol production and transport under robust conditions led to the efficient use of a single internal standard. Change in the energy transfer under robust conditions required the use of several internal standards. The use of non-robust conditions made the use of internal standardization complex. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.