Precision of wavelength-modulated atomic absorption measurements of high calcium concentrations in a nitrous oxide-acetylene flame

Journal Article · Thu Dec 15 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Anal. Chem.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ac00175a013· OSTI ID:6190683

Messman, J D; O'Harver, T C; Epstein, M S

The effects of calcium emission on the precision of flame atomic absorption spectrometric measurements of calcium in a nitrous oxide-acetylene flame are compared by using instruments that employ continuum or line radiation sources. The measurement precision obtained by using a wavelength-modulated echelle spectrometer with a Cermax xenon arc continuum source (WM-AAC) is found to be superior to that obtained with an instrument using a hollow cathode lamp line source when the calcium concentration exceeds 5 mg/L. The limiting noise at high calcium concentrations is analyte absorption flicker using WM-AAC and is analyte flame emission photon noise using the line-source instrument. No measurement biases are observed with either method for the analysis of an argillaceous limestone reference material, but measurement precision is better using WM-AAC at shorter integration times.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Maryland, College Park (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6190683
• Journal Information: Anal. Chem.; (United States), Journal Name: Anal. Chem.; (United States) Vol. 60:24; ISSN ANCHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400102* -- Chemical & Spectral Procedures
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ACETYLENE
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALKYNES
CALCIUM
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DATA
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLAMES
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
METALS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NITROUS OXIDE
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SPECTROSCOPY