Laser vaporization of solid metal samples into an inductively coupled plasma

A laser vaporization-inductively coupled plasma system has been developed and tested for the direct analysis of solid metal samples. In this system the sample (normal emission spectroscopy metal disc standards) is vaporized utilizing a pulsed ruby laser and the vaporized material is swept into the ICP. Multichannel spectral data are simultaneously acquired using a photodiode array spectrometer. System parameters that have been investigated include ICP emission signal duration, number of laser shots to be used for a determination, the time between laser shots, free running or Q-switched laser operation, and the effect of laser focus. Analytical curves are presented for aluminum and brass samples.