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Typical Applications of AAS

• Quantitative metal concentrations in solutions
• Monitoring of trace metals in effluent streams
• Trace elements in product / raw materials
• Analysis of additives in steels and other alloys

Extensive wet preparation facilities are also available on site. For example carbon contents of steels etc. can be measured using a furnace/non aqueous titration technique.

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Waste Characterisation for Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) and Lead in Paint Analysis

Principle

AAS quantitatively measures the concentrations of elements present in a liquid sample. It utilises the principle that elements in the gas phase absorb light at very specific wavelengths which gives the technique excellent specificity and detection limits.

The sample may be an aqueous or organic solution, indeed it may even be solid provided it can be dissolved successfully. The liquid is drawn in to a flame where it is ionised in the gas phase.

Light of a specific wavelength appropriate to the element being analysed is shone through the flame, the absorption is proportional to the concentration of the element. Quantification is achieved by preparing standards of the element.

Features of the Laboratory’s AAS Capability

Aurora AL 1200 – AAS with programmable gas control

• Inert Teflon spray chamber
• Titanium burner head
• Impact bead
• Adjustable nebuliser technology
• Better than 0.5% RSD from ten 4 second integrations
• Enables elemental analysis at the parts per million level for a wide range of metals and some non-metals:

Elements available: Silver, Aluminium, Arsenic, Gold, Bismuth, Barium, Beryllium , Calcium, Cadmium, Cobalt, Chromium, Copper, Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Sodium, Nickel, Lead, Antimony, Silicon, Tin, Strontium, Tellurium, Tungsten, Zinc and Zirconium. (Other elements available on request).

• Hydride kit available for analysis of trace arsenic, antimony, tin, selenium, bismuth and mercury
• A cold vapour mercury accessory kit is also available for trace mercury analysis.

Our site expert on AAS is Alan Wicks.

Please contact us to discuss how your requirements can be met using this or any of our analytical techniques. We can issue no-obligation quotations once we have discussed your needs and can offer two levels of service “urgent” and “normal”. We also offer preferential rates for longer term analysis contracts. Click here to find out more.