A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PREMIXED AND TURBULENT AIR-HYDROGEN FLAMES IN ATOMIC FLUORESCENCE SPECTROMETRY

Turbulent diffusion and laminar premixed air-hydrogen flames are critically studied as atomizers for several elements measured by atomic fluorescence flame spectrometry with respect to the effect of aspirating aqueous and aqueous-organic mixture solvents, the effect of nebulizing gas on the quenching of fluorescence, the effect of exciting radiation scatter as a result of incomplete solvent and solute evaporation, and the effect of flame height and background. The turbulent flame system results generally in greater or comparable sensitivities and limits of detection to the premixed flame system for most elements. Because the turbulent flame does not cause an abnormally large scatter signal and is not very sensitive to choice of nebulizing gas and because total consumption nebulizer burners are simple and safer to use, the turbulent air-hydrogen flame produced is recommended for atomic fluorescence studies of elements which are appreciably atomized in such a flame—e.g., Cd, Ga, Fe, Pb, Ti, and Sn. © 1969, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.