Flame spectrometry

From J. A. Dean and T. C. Rains, Standard Solutions for Flame Spectrometry, in Flame Emission and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, J. A. Dean and T. C. Rains (Eds.), Vol. 2, Chap. 13, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1971. 

Flame spectrometry of mixtures of NaCl or KCI with NH4Re04 shows no compounds containing Na—Re bonds, but KjRe was obtained with KCI. 

Winefordner JD, Vickers TJ (1964) Calculation of limit of detectability in atomic absorption flame spectrometry. Anal Chem 36 1947... 

Winefordner JD, Parsons ML, Mansfield JM, McCarthy WJ (1967) Derivation of expressions for calculation of limiting detectable atomic concentration in atomic fluorescence flame spectrometry. Anal Chem 39 436... 

Cresser, M. (1994) Flame Spectrometry in Environmental Chemical Analysis a Practical Guide, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge. 

Fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of the two sodium D lines in an air-acetylene flame, (a) In the excitation spectrum, the laser was scanned, (to) In the emission spectrum, the monochromator was scanned. The monochromator slit width was the same for both spectra. [From s. J. Weeks, H. Haraguchl, and J. D. Wlnefordner, Improvement of Detection Limits in Laser-Excited Atomic Fluorescence Flame Spectrometry," Anal. Chem. 1976t 50,360.]... 

Materials in which these elements are determined by flame spectrometry include water, glasses, cement, soils, fertilizers, plant materials, biological fluids and tissues, petroleum products and metallurgical products. 

Mansfield, J. M., J. D. Winefordner, and C. Veillon High Sensitivity Determination of Zinc, Cadmium, Mercury, Thallium, Gallium, and Indium by Atomic Fluorescence Flame Spectrometry. Anal. Chem. 37, 1049 (1965). 

Figure 4 A typical pneumatic nebulizer of the type used in flame spectrometry...

Figure 9 The three key zones of ordinary (A) and separated (B) air-acetylene flames. The inter-conal zone is the most important zone in analytical flame spectrometry...

In flame spectrometry, physical interferences are related to transport of determinant from sample solution to the flame. The pneumatic nebulizer functions not only as a spray generator, but also as a pump.1,2 Anything which influences the pumping rate will influence the size of the absorbance signal obtained. The pumping, or aspiration, rate is most sensitive to changes in viscosity of the sample solutions. 

Aspiration rate is only a small part of the overall transport process in flame spectrometry. The production of aerosol and its transport through the spray chamber are also of great importance. The size distribution of aerosol produced depends upon the surface tension, density, and viscosity of the sample solution. An empirical equation relating aerosol size distribution to these parameters and to nebulizer gas and solution flow rates was first worked out by Nukiyama and Tanasawa,5 who were interested in the size distributions in fuel sprays for rocket motors. Their equation has been extensively exploited in analytical flame spectrometry.2,6-7 Careful matrix matching is therefore essential not only for matching aspiration rates of samples and standards, but also for matching the size distributions of their respective aerosols. Samples and standards with identical size distributions will be transported to the flame with identical efficiencies, a key requirement in analytical flame spectrometry. 

Figure 6 The design of an impact cup for use in analytical flame spectrometry...

The vast majority of environmental analyses completed by flame spectrometry either involve direct analysis of aqueous samples or analysis of solid samples after sample dissolution. It is appropriate at this point, therefore, to consider briefly the implications which the requirement to have the sample in solution form has in flame spectroscopic analysis, and that is the prime purpose of this chapter. However, it is also important never to lose sight of the fact that appropriate sampling and sub-sampling techniques are a crucial prerequisite to the generation of meaningful environmental data. The analytical process often starts in the field, and that is the stage at which we should begin to look at sample preparation.1... 

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