Hydrogen Isotope Analysis Using a Reduced-Pressure ICP Torch

Abstract

Despite the apparent nonequilibrium conditions found in the plasma, this research has demonstrated that the flowing, reduced-pressure inductively coupled argon plasma can provide a rapid, sensitive, and effective new analytical method for hydrogen isotope analysis. The important characteristics which make this method useful include the following: no apparent molecular emission, the ability to correct the apparent isotope effect observed in static systems by flow regulation, the linearity of the response of atomic hydrogen and deuterium line intensities with concentration of H2 and D2 injected in the plasma gas mixture, and the minimal memory effects.