New ICP Provides Increased Capacity for Sample Analysis
An additional ICP Spectrometer (Inductively-Coupled Plasma) was recently purchased by LTI's Chemistry Lab to increase capacity for elemental analysis of samples. The new ICP provides greater throughput for ICP samples, and can analyze most elements in the periodic table. This spectrometer also has a larger optic than the lab's other equipment, allowing for greater resolution of background from wavelengths and providing a greater number of analytical wavelengths for more sensitive analysis. The Lab’s ICP Spectrometers all use CCD (Charge Coupled Device) technology, which allows the instrument to measure the whole spectrum necessary for the analysis of all the common metal bases. According to LTI's Chemistry Supervisor, Lee Dilks, "this gives us the ability to quantify any element that produces light over the range of the detectors and to pick wavelengths for analysis that are free of background interferences".