Characterization of soil and coal fly ash samples by glow discharge spectrometries

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:191708

King, F L; Teng, J ^[1]; Barshick, C M ^[2]

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1. West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV (United States)
2. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN (United States); and others

Glow discharge spectrometry methods were developed for the determination of trace elements in nonconducting matrices of environmental concern. Samples, in powder form, were mixed with a conducting host matrix and briquetted to form cathodes. Both DC and RF glow discharges were combined with mass and optical spectrometric monitoring. Although the host matrix identity influenced absolute elemental sensitivities, there was no significant influence of host matrix identity on relative elemental sensitivities in mass spectrometric measurements. The accuracy of quantitation using linear working curves, obtained in mass spectrometric determinations of clays and soils, was verified by their use in the determination of elements in NIST SRM 97b Clay. Results from optical and mass spectrometric methods were compared for soil samples. Detection limits for most elements were in the 100 ppb range for soil and coal fly samples.

• OSTI ID: 191708
• Report Number(s): CONF-941098--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
40 CHEMISTRY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
ELEMENTS
EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY
FLY ASH
GLOW DISCHARGES
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
SOILS
TRACE AMOUNTS