Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES)

Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy
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.

Technical Specifications:
Example Outputs Instruments Used Sample Requirements

Learn More:
How ICP-OES Works Related Techniques

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
Instruments Used for ICP-OES
Thermo Fisher Scientific iCAP-7400 ICP-OES

Thermo Fisher 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
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)
How ICP-OES Works

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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