Reproducible PPM Level Detection of Sulphur by ICP-OES

Warwick Analytical Service (WAS) has developed a proprietary Inductive Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) sample preparation protocol allowing regular, reproducible detection of Sulphur at trace levels of only tens of parts-per-million (ppm).

The new protocol provides an affordable alternative to ICP-MS based methods for determining low ppm levels of sulphur in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, natural products, fuels, geological and nanoparticulate materials.

After trialling various sample weights - WAS scientists were able to determine a suitable measure to give the most accurate results. WAS found that a larger volume of sample was more suitable but not so large that the microwave digestion process was incomplete. The ICP conditions used for low level Sulphur determinations typically requires a high purge for over an hour with the nebuliser and coil power set to axial view.