Digestion or Direct Solid Analysis ? A Fast and Precise Technique for Trace and Ultra-trace Analytics
The main problem in modern trace analysis
is to ensure correctness of data. Methods,
which only require a small number of
sample preparation steps, are extremely
advantageous, as they minimise the risk of
contamination. Besides time savings, one of
the major advantages of determining trace
elements directly as solids is the avoidance
of contamination of the sample from the
solvent during sample digestion. Analytik
Jena makes this possible with the automatic
solid sampler SSA 600 (Figure 1).
The classical methods of sample preparation
for atomic spectroscopy include various
digestion techniques. The associated
investment in time and personnel limits the
sample throughput achievable in the
analytical laboratory. Reagents are required,
both for digestion and for the subsequent
steps, such as dilution, which, along with
the vessels and handling of the samples, can
lead to contamination and inaccuracy.