Radial ICP characteristics for ICP-AES using direct injection or microconcentric nebulisation

• Radial analyte signal intensities, fundamental plasma parameters, and non-spectral interference effects were characterized for inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) using a direct injection nebuliser (Vulkan DIN) or a microconcentric nebuliser (MCN) coupled to a cyclonic spray chamber for sample introduction. Radial analyte signal intensity profiles for atomic and ionic lines with energy sum (Esum) between 1.85 and 15.41 eV were used. When using the MCN system, for all lines the signal intensity profiles were parabolic with maxima at the axial centre of the plasma. For the Vulkan DIN, the shapes of the profiles were dependent on their Esum showing minimum intensities at the axial centre of the plasma for lines with high Esum values. The ionisation temperature, electron number density and magnesium ion-atom line intensity ratio determined indicated that ionisation and excitation capabilities were deteriorated at the centre of the plasma when using the Vulkan DIN compared with the MCN. This was found to be not simply a result of high aerosol load when using the Vulkan DIN, but because of poor plasma–aerosol interaction, possibly caused by the confined distribution of aerosol in the plasma and high nebuliser gas velocity. Indeed, for the Vulkan DIN, electron number density and ionisation temperature increased with liquid flow rate, which could be explained by plasma shrinkage, or the thermal pinch effect, which increased the aerosol–plasma interaction at increased liquid flow rates. As a consequence, when increasing the liquid flow rate in the range 20–90 µL min–1: (i) analyte sensitivity increased linearly; (ii) the plasma became unstable; (iii) the magnitude of matrix effects remained almost unaffected. These results are partly in contrast to observations made with other types of direct injection nebulisers and ICP instruments.  

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