Inductively coupled plasma

Description

An analytical method used to qualitatively and quantitatively determine the elemental content of materials. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectrophotometry uses radio-frequency coils to generate a high-temperature plasma. The sample, prepared as an acid digested solution, is aspirated into the plasma with argon gas. The wavelengths and intensities of the resultant emission lines are measured to determine the elemental composition of the sample. ICP is used to determine major and minor elements in stone, metal, concrete, glass and other inorganic matrices. It has replaced flame emission (FE) and atomic absorption (AA) spectrophotometers in recent years because it can analyze many elements simultaneously with much lower detection limits.

Synonyms and Related Terms

ICP; induktiv gekoppeltes Plasma (Deut.); plasma couplé par induction (Fr.); inductively-coupled plasma spectrometry