Flame emission spectrophotometry

Description

An early 20th century analytical method used to qualitatively and quantitatively determine the elemental content of materials. Flame emission (FE) spectrophotometry separates and detects the emission bands produced when an element is vaporized. Using the same principal as the flame test, a material is heated to incandescence using a controlled flame source, then its emission colors are analyzed. A prism or monochromator is used to separate the wavelengths, then a photodetector is used to measure the intensity of the radiation at each point. An electrical system records the results. While these instruments were once common, elemental analysis is more often done now using atomic absorption (AA) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectrophotometers.

Synonyms and Related Terms

FE spectrophotometer; spectrométrie d'émission de flamme (Fr.);

Resources and Citations

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971