Automation of Fusions with Sodium Peroxide in Zirconium Crucibles

摘要

In the analysis by emission spectroscopy of a wide range of solid and liquid samples at the laboratories of the Council for Mineral Technology (Mintek), extensive use is made of inductively coupled plasma (ICP) sources. The sample is usually presented to the ICP source in the form of a solution that is aspirated by a pneumatic nebulizer, the resulting aerosol being injected into the plasma discharge for atomization and excitation. When the analysis of large batches of such samples is required, the manual procedure for the fusion of the samples can be very time-consuming and tiring. Mintek therefore decided that an attempt should be made to develop a procedure (including the design and construction of an automatic machine) for the simultaneous fusion of several samples with sodium peroxide in zirconium crucibles.