A Miniature, Low Energy Spark Discharge System for Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of Solutions

A miniature spark discharge system is described for solution analysis by emission spectroscopy. Samples are introduced as dry particles formed by nebulization into a heated desolvation chamber. The spark is formed by the discharge of a coaxial capacitor through a stream of argon which transports the desolvated aerosol. A photoelectric, time-resolved detection system for mechanistic studies and analytical applications is described. The detection system consists of a synchronous integrator controlled by a digital timing and sequencing system. The time-resolved spectral characteristics of the source are discussed, and time resolution is shown to provide enhanced sensitivity. Analytical results are reported for a variety of elements.