Quantitative analysis sensitivity

Quantitative analysis Sensitive and selective methods have been developed for most elements and many functional groups. It is used extensively in routine analysis of water, food, beverages, industrial products, etc. 

Currently many thousands of x-ray spectrometers are being utilized for routine qualitative and quantitative analysis. Sensitivities available for most elements reach the low part-per-million range, and the method is equally as applicable at high or low concentration levels. Accuracies of the order of a few tenths of a percent are achievable with analysis times on the order of minutes for scanning spectrometers and even less for multichannel instruments. 

Although the most sensitive line for cadmium in the arc or spark spectmm is at 228.8 nm, the line at 326.1 nm is more convenient to use for spectroscopic detection. The limit of detection at this wavelength amounts to 0.001% cadmium with ordinary techniques and 0.00001% using specialized methods. Determination in concentrations up to 10% is accompHshed by solubilization of the sample followed by atomic absorption measurement. The range can be extended to still higher cadmium levels provided that a relative error of 0.5% is acceptable. Another quantitative analysis method is by titration at pH 10 with a standard solution of ethylenediarninetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and Eriochrome Black T indicator. Zinc interferes and therefore must first be removed. 

The classical wet-chemical quaUtative identification of chromium is accompHshed by the intense red-violet color that develops when aqueous Cr(VI) reacts with (5)-diphenylcarba2ide under acidic conditions (95). This test is sensitive to 0.003 ppm Cr, and the reagent is also useful for quantitative analysis of trace quantities of Cr (96). Instmmental quaUtative identification is possible using inductively coupled argon plasma—atomic emission spectroscopy... 

Because X-ray counting rates are relatively low, it typically requires 100 seconds or more to accumulate adequate counting statistics for a quantitative analysis. As a result, the usual strategy in applying electron probe microanalysis is to make quantitative measurements at a limited collection of points. Specific analysis locations are selected with the aid of a rapid imaging technique, such as an SEM image prepared with backscattered electrons, which are sensitive to compositional variations, or with the associated optical microscope. 

X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (XRF) is a well-established instrumental technique for quantitative analysis of the composition of solids. It is basically a bulk evaluation method, its analytical depth being determined by the penetration depth of the impinging X-ray radiation and the escape depth of the characteristic fluorescence quanta. Sensitivities in the ppma range are obtained, and the analysis of the emitted radiation is mosdy performed using crystal spectrometers, i.e., by wavelength-dispersive spectroscopy. XRF is applied to a wide range of materials, among them metals, alloys, minerals, and ceramics. 

Several features of ISS quantitative analysis should be noted. First of all, the relative sensitivities for the elements increase monotonically with mass. Essentially none of the other surface spectroscopies exhibit this simplicity. Because of this simple relationship, it is possible to mathematically manipulate the entire ISS spectrum such that the signal intensity is a direct quantitative representation of the surface. This is illustrated in Figure 5, which shows a depth profile of clean electrical connector pins. Atomic concentration can be read roughly as atomic percent direcdy from the approximate scale at the left. 

Limitations in the digitizer s dynamic range can be overcome by using multiple transient recorders operating at diflerent sensitivities, or by adding logarithmic preamplifiers in the detection system. From the preceding discussion it appears, however, that quantitative analysis is not the primary area of application of LIMS. Semiquantitative and qualitative applications of LIMS have been developed and are discussed in the remainder of this article. 

However, the spatial resolution of AES is mueh greater than that of XPS and ean approaeh approximately 25 nm. This makes AES a powerful technique for constructing high-resolution maps showing the distribution of chemical species across a surface. Because of the small analysis area, it is an easy matter to combine AES with inert gas sputtering to construct depth profiles showing the distribution of chemical species as a function of distance away from the surface and into the bulk of the solid. Quantitative analysis can be done using sensitivity factors and an equation similar to Eq. 17. 

Note The reagent can be employed for qualitative and quantitative analysis on silica gel and RP layers. Ammonia, amine and acid-containing mobile phases should be completely removed beforehand. Amino phases cannot be employed. The NBD-chloride reagent is not as sensitive as the DOOB reagent (qv.) on RP phases. 

The first part of the book eonsists of a detailed treatment of the fundamentals of thin-layer ehromatography, and of measurement techniques and apparatus for the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of thin-layer ehromatograms. In situ preehromatographie derivatization teehniques used to improve the selectivity of the separation, to inerease the sensitivity of deteetion, and to enhanee the precision of the subsequent quantitative analysis are summarized in numerous tables. 

Kinetic methods. These methods of quantitative analysis are based upon the fact that the speed of a given chemical reaction may frequently be increased by the addition of a small amount of a catalyst, and within limits, the rate of the catalysed reaction will be governed by the amount of catalyst present. If a calibration curve is prepared showing variation of reaction rate with amount of catalyst used, then measurement of reaction rate will make it possible to determine how much catalyst has been added in a certain instance. This provides a sensitive method for determining sub-microgram amounts of appropriate substances. 

Quantitative analysis using the internal standard method. The height and area of chromatographic peaks are affected not only by the amount of sample but also by fluctuations of the carrier gas flow rate, the column and detector temperatures, etc., i.e. by variations of those factors which influence the sensitivity and response of the detector. The effect of such variations can be eliminated by use of the internal standard method in which a known amount of a reference substance is added to the sample to be analysed before injection into the column. The requirements for an effective internal standard (Section 4.5) may be summarised as follows ... 

Impact Sensitivity Determinations of Explosive Compounds Tested During the Period from 1 January to 1 November 1950", NOL NAVORD 1589, (1 Nov 1950), Table V 22) J.M. Rosen, Procedure for the Quantitative Analysis of Nitroform and Bis(trinitroethyl)urea Using Tetra-phenylarsonium Chloride , NOL NAVORD 1729 20 Dec 1950) 23) N.L. Drake et al, U of Md... 

New process technologies (Ref 53) such as jet mills (Fig 2) and co-precipitation (Ref 97) may allow safe compounding of sensitive or toxic formulations. New analytical tools such as neutron radiography (Ref 92) afford improved non-destructive testing of devices. X-ray fluorescence (Ref 93) and neutron activation (Ref 94) provide quantitative analysis of pyrotechnic compns and their trace contaminants... 

The applications of EPR spectroscopy reviewed in the present chapter are based on the sensitivity of the spectrum displayed by iron-sulfur centers to various characteristics, such as the redox state of the center, the distribution of the valences on the iron ions, the nature and the geometry of the ligands, and the presence of nearby paramagnetic species. Although considerable progress has been made during the past few years in the quantitative analysis of these various effects in the case of the conventional iron-sulfur centers described in Section II, the discovery of centers exhibiting unusual EPR properties as... 

Mass Spectrometry. The mass spectra were obtained on a CEC 21-llOB mass spectrometer with the batch inlet system maintained at 250°C to assure complete vaporization of the samples. Sensitivity factors for quantitative analysis were obtained from standards of di-, tetra-, hexa-, and octa-chlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. The factors for the intermediate chlorinated species were estimated by interpolation. The analyses were based... 

Assessment and definition of sensitivity are often described for quantitative analysis but are of equal importance for qualitative devices of the dip-stick type that are very popular for farm- or field-based screening assays. Because of the somewhat subjective nature of visually assessed assays, the assay s sensitivity must be validated using a number of observers to determine at what level a test is deemed positive. The number of false positives and false negatives must be carefully determined in order to balance consumer safety and potential economic loss to animal producers. 

---