Near Infrared Atomic Emissions of Sulfur and Carbon in the Argon Inductively Coupled Plasma

Abstract

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) excitation of the 9212.91 Å nonresonant line of atomic sulfur is reported and is found to yield a detection limit more than 20-fold better than any visible or “air path” ultraviolet sulfur lines produced by the argon ICP. The ICP excited spectrum reported here for the element sulfur is markedly different from that reported for atmospheric pressure microwave-induced helium plasmas. Partial Grotrian diagrams and tables of relative intensities, detection limits, and corresponding wavelengths of 30 ICP excited, nonresonant atomic sulfur emission lines and 20 ICP excited, nonresonant atomic carbon lines are presented for the air path, photomultiplier accessible region 2000 to 9900 Å. No lines of ionized sulfur were observed in the 27-MHz, 1.75-kW argon ICP. Vertical emission intensity profiles of near infrared S(I) and C(I) lines are presented for both conventional and extended ICP torches. The present near infrared (S(I) 9212.91 Å and C(I) 9094.83 Å) detection limits for sulfur and carbon are 0.006 μg and 0.13 μg, respectively, using 8 μL gas sampling loop injections of H2S and CH4 into a low-volume transfer line leading directly into the ICP.