Arc, Spark & Plasma

Dr. NAEEM AKHTAR VIRK

GOVT COLLEGE GUJRANWALA
Sources of excitation and ionization

 Flame – still used for metal atoms

 Alternating current arc (AC arc)
 Direct current (DC arc)
 Alternating current spark (AC spark)
 Direct current Plasma
 Microwave Induced Plasma
 Inductively Coupled Plasma – the most important technique
Flame

 It is used for those molecules which

do not require very high temperatures
for excitation into atoms during
quantitative analysis.
 Sample in solution form and sprayed
into the flame of a burner. Fuel
Oxidant Flame temp (O C) H2 O2
2800 H2 Air 2100 Acetylene O2
3000 Acetylene Air 2200
Alternating current spark (AC spark)

 High voltage transfer 10 – 50 KV across two electrodes gives a spark.

 The use of condenser increases the current.
 Brilliant spark is obtained at 0.005 microfarad capacity to the capacitor.

Advantages:
 Reproducible
 Less material is consumed
 High concentration solution can be used
 Heating effect is less which is useful for analysis of low melting materials.
 No interference
AC Arc

 It employs potential difference of 1000 volts or more.

 The arc is drawn at a distance of 0.5 – 3 mm. Advantages:
 Best source for qualitative analysis
 Stable
 Reproducible
DC Arc

 The DC arc is generated with a potential gradient of 50 – 300 volts.

 The current used is about 1 to 300 amps and emission is due to neutral atoms.
 The temperature in the arc stream ranges from 2273 – 5273 K.
 Used for identification and determination of elements present in very small concentrations.
 Three types of high-temperature plasma Plasma
 an electrically conducting gaseous mixture containing significant concentrations of cations
and electrons.
 The inductively coupled plasma (ICP)
 The direct current plasma (DCP)
 The microwave induced plasma (MIP) The most important of these plasmas is the
inductively coupled plasma (ICP).
Sources Advantages of plasma

 Simultaneous multi-element Analysis – saves sample amount

 Some non-metal determination (Cl, Br, I, and S)
 Concentration range of several decades (105 – 106 )
Disadvantages of plasma
 very complex Spectra - hundreds to thousands of lines
 High resolution and expensive optical components
 Expensive instruments, highly trained personnel required
The Direct Current Plasma Technique

 The direct current plasma is created by the electronic release of the

two electrodes.
 The samples are placed on an electrode.
 In the technique solid samples are placed near the discharge to
encourage the emission of the sample by the converted gas atoms
Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP)

 Plasma generated in a device called a Torch

 Torch up to 1" diameter
 Argon cools outer tube, defines plasma shape
 Rapid tangential flow of argon cools outer quartz and centers plasma
 Rate of Argon Consumption 5 - 20 L/Min
 Radio frequency (RF) generator 27 or 41 MHz up to 2 kW
 Telsa coil produces initiation spark
 Ions and electrons interact with magnetic field and begin to flow in a circular motion.
 Resistance to movement (collisions of electrons and cations with ambient gas) leads to
ohmic heating.
 Sample introduction is analogous to atomic absorption.
WAVELENGTH SELECTION AND
DETECTION FOR AES
 Arc and spark instruments normally contain non scanning monochromators.
 Either a series of slits is cut in the focal plane of the monochromator and a photomultiplier
tube is placed behind each slit that corresponds to the wavelength of a line that is to be
measured, or one or more photographic plates or pieces of film are placed on the focal of
the monochromator.
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS WITH ARC AND
SPARK AES
 Qualitative analysis is performed by comparing the wavelengths of the intense lines from
the sample with those for known elements.
 It is generally agreed that at least three intense lines of a sample must be matched within a
known element in order to conclude that the sample contains the element