| Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) |
Model : PerkinElmer SCIEX ELAN DRC-e
| Principle |
The plasma generated in the ICP torch creates a very hot zone that serves a variety of functions. During their voyage into the plasma, the liquid droplets containing the sample matrix and the elements are dried to a solid, and then heated to a gas. As the atoms travel through the plasma, they absorb more energy from the plasma and eventually release one electron to form a singly charged ion. These ions exit the plasma and enter the quadrupole through interface region, where they are separated and counted using an electron multiplier.
| Application |
The technique is very useful for elemental analysis of rocks, ores, minerals, water samples, environmental samples and biological samples in parts per billion levels and even below. Rare earth elements can be determined directly without carrying any separation and pre-concentration, with ICPMS
| Material needed for analysis |
If not connected with laser ablation, ICPMS is also a solution technique. Samples are first converted into solution form. Of course water samples can be directly analyzed.