Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES)

Platinum Group Metals or Precious Group Metals (PGMs) are a collection of transition metals grouped in the middle of the Periodic Table. These materials serve in many specialized applications in consumer products, technologies and device development; efficient, highly accurate quantification of the content of these metals is useful to numerous industries. Results in this Table show exceptional precision and agreement between 3 high-concentration aliquots of the PGMs, demonstrating the high performance of the iCAP-7400 system.

Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) gives the elemental composition of either liquid or digested-solid samples. It is highly sensitive with a large dynamic range and well suited for trace element detection in the analysis of processing fluids or rinse water. Accompanied by a new Microwave Digestion system, we can also use ICP-OES to analyze the chemistry of digested bulk samples. Results are quantitative using an appropriate reference or are semi-quantitative for simple survey scans.

Strengths

Widely applicable to virtually any bulk sample (liquid or solid)
Wide dynamic range supports analysis of most elements on the Periodic Table
Quantitative composition with an appropriate reference; or semi-quantitative with simple survey scans
Compatible with airless workflow (use of glovebox)*
NOTE: ICP is an inherently destructive mode of sample-introduction; as a result, the sample will eventually be exposed to air during the process of analysis, as it vaporizes and ionizes

Limitations

Provides elemental composition information only
Best for bulk samples; (ICP-MS is preferable for analysis of contaminants and impurities)
Solid samples need to be digested first – Covalent can provide this service as well; please contact us if you are interested in learning more.

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Example Outputs Instruments Used How ICP-OES Works

Sample Requirements

Liquid or digestible solid-phase
Measurement typically requires a minimum 10 mL for undiluted liquids; or 50-100 mg for solid samples
Reduced sample quantity can negatively affect detection limits (though larger samples can be sectioned at Covalent)

ICP-OES Example Outputs

Platinum Group Metals or Precious Group Metals (PGMs) are a collection of transition metals grouped in the middle of the Periodic Table. These materials serve in many specialized applications in consumer products, technologies and device development; efficient, highly accurate quantification of the content of these metals is useful to numerous industries. Results in this Table show exceptional precision and agreement between 3 high-concentration aliquots of the PGMs, demonstrating the high performance of the iCAP-7400 system.

Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific Application Note

ICP-OES Instruments Used

ThermoFisher Scientific iCAP-7400 ICP-OES

Charge Injection Device (CID86) enables full & precise sampling of wavelengths from 166-847 nm
Quantitative Elemental Composition possible for most elements from Li (3) – U (92) on Periodic Table
Detection Limits as low as 10-50 ng/L!
(NOTE: Detection Limits vary by element and wavelength and can be influenced by volume & phase of sample to be analyzed)
Ducted airflows and a thermostatically controlled polychromator (controlled to within 0.1 °C) maximize spectrometer stability & improve precision and performance
Flexible accessories to support diverse methods & sample types

View Instrument Brochure

ICP-OES works by analyzing the light emitted from a plasma, induced through ionization as a liquid or gaseous sample is introduced in the instrument. During this process, the sample is vaporized and fully ionized, causing it to shed excess energy as emitted light.

A spectrometer detects and analyzes these emitted photons: separating them according to their characteristic wavelengths and measuring their intensity (the number of photons with a given wavelength). Binning this data produces a spectrum that allows experts to identify the elements present in the sample and determine their concentration.

ICP-OES can analyze a wide range of elements, and can make these measurements simultnaeously, allowing for fast analysis times. Furthermore, there are minimal levels of interference between elemental signals in OES; combined with the stability of a latest-generation instrument, ICP-OES provides enhanced sensitivity and improved detection limits over other spectroscopy methods.

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