SLURRY ATOMIZATION DC PLASMA EMISSION-SPECTROMETRY AND LASER DIFFRACTION STUDIES OF AEROSOL PRODUCTION AND TRANSPORT

A clog-free Babington slurry nebulizer system is presented for direct current plasma (DCP) emission spectrometry. The DCP is unique in that the torch tip opening at the entry point into this plasma is presently approximately 5 times wider than that of the inductively coupled plasma and approximately 10 times wider than that of premixed flame burner slots. The combination of this enlarged DCP torch tip opening and a Babington slurry nebulizer results in an overall system for spectrochemical analysis that is virtually unrestricted as to the direct nebulization and aerosol transport of homogenized solid samples such as animal tissue.