FUNDAMENTAL STUDIES AND APPLICATIONS IN MICROWAVE-INDUCED PLASMA OPTICAL EMISSION SPECTROMETRY

Abstract

Microwave-induced plasma optical emission spectrometry (MIP OES) is a technique within Atomic Spectrometry which is rapidly growing, following the relatively recent introduction of a complete commercial instrument based on the Hammer-cavity MIP. It offers advantages of low cost and simple operation, as well as the ability to run on air, enabling it to be used in remote areas or places with underdeveloped infrastructure. Due to the relative novelty of the technique, intensive method development for specific sample types is necessary to expand the utility of the technique and compensate for some of its limitations, such as its relatively low robustness and sequential detection. In addition, developments in plasma diagnostics and novel calibration strategies are also important to help increase the prominence and utility of the technique. The present research covers several such applications and efforts to improve instrumentation performance, as well as more fundamental studies of the properties of the plasma.