ICP Source
Definition
Inductively coupled argon plasma at 6000 to 10000 K. The hottest practical excitation source for AES, giving simultaneous multi-element analysis (ICP-OES, ICP-MS).
- Full name
- Inductively coupled plasma source
- Gas
- Argon
- Temperature range
- 6,000 to 10,000 K
- Application
- Simultaneous multi-element analysis (ICP-OES, ICP-MS)
Common questions
Why is ICP preferred over a flame source for multi-element work?+
A chemical flame typically tops out well below plasma temperatures and cannot excite every element efficiently at once, while the ICP's higher energy atomises and excites a broad range of elements simultaneously, letting one run measure many analytes together.
Is ICP the same excitation source used in AAS?+
No. Atomic absorption spectroscopy usually uses a flame or graphite furnace and measures one element at a time, whereas ICP feeds emission or mass spectrometry detectors capable of multi-element simultaneous measurement.
Related terms
- Atomisation
- Conversion of a sample into free gaseous atoms in the ground state (AAS) or excited state (AES). The mandatory first step of...
- Beer-Lambert Law
- A = εbc. Absorbance equals molar absorptivity times path length times concentration. The linear relation between absorbance and concentration that makes UV-Vis...
- Chromophore
- The molecular subunit responsible for a dye's colour, typically a conjugated double-bond system; chemical erasure destroys the chromophore while leaving the decolourised...
- Fingerprint Region (IR)
- 1500 to 400 cm⁻¹. The complex lower-wavenumber zone where the whole-molecule pattern is unique enough to identify a substance by overlay.
- Hollow Cathode Lamp (HCL)
- A sealed lamp whose cathode is made of the element being analysed, filled with argon or neon at low pressure. Strikes a...
- Molar Absorptivity (ε)
- The proportionality constant in the Beer-Lambert law, in L mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹. A property of the analyte at a given wavelength, solvent and...
- Stokes Shift (Raman)
- The Raman-scattered photon at lower energy than the incident photon. The Stokes line is the one routinely measured because it is stronger...