Trace element spectrometer

Trace element spectrometer refers to an instrument that uses optical principles to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze trace elements in a sample. These devices are typically based on techniques such as Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) to determine the concentration of trace elements in a sample by measuring changes in light intensity at specific wavelengths.

Trace element spectrometer refers to an instrument that uses optical principles to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze trace elements in a sample. These devices are typically based on techniques such as Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) to determine the concentration of trace elements in a sample by measuring changes in light intensity at specific wavelengths.

Common trace elements include:

1. Essential trace elements for the human body, such as iron, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, etc.

2. Environmental pollutants: heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium, etc.

3. Trace elements in industrial raw materials and products, such as impurities in alloys and active ingredients in pharmaceuticals.

Working principle of trace element spectrometer

Different types of trace element spectrometers adopt different technical paths, but their core idea is based on the analysis of characteristic signals generated by the interaction between matter and light.

1. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS)

AAS is a method for quantitative analysis of elements based on the absorption characteristics of gaseous ground state atoms towards specific wavelengths of light. When a sample containing the element to be tested is heated to high temperature to form atomic vapor, a fixed wavelength light source is used to irradiate the vapor. If the atoms of the element to be tested can absorb light of this wavelength, the concentration of the element in the sample can be calculated by measuring the change in transmitted light intensity.

2. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)

The trace element spectrometer combines the advantages of inductively coupled plasma as an ion source and mass spectrometer as a detector. The sample solution is atomized into small droplets and enters the high-temperature plasma generated by the high-frequency induction coil, where the elements are ionized into positively charged ions; Then, these ions are separated according to the mass/charge ratio (m/z) and recorded by the detector. ICP-MS has high sensitivity and resolution, making it suitable for the analysis of trace elements in complex matrices.

3. Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES)

ICP-OES also uses inductively coupled plasma as the excitation source, but it relies on the characteristic radiation spectra emitted by the elements after being excited at high temperatures for analysis. Each element has its emission spectral lines, so the types and concentrations of elements present in the sample can be determined by identifying the positions and intensities of these spectral lines.