Direct determination of bismuth in steel samples by magnetic drop-in electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

Direct determination of bismuth in steel samples by magnetic drop-in electrothermal vaporization inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry was reported. A series of sample cuvettes were preconditioned by soaking in dilute hydrochloric acid followed by heating to expel impurities. One of the cuvettes was placed on the TBF through the sample insertion port of the glass dome. After purging the inside of the glass dome with a carrier gas stream, the temperature was taken up to 2500°C with a ramp time of 12 s and a hold time of 20 s. The transient emission signals were recorded by the software attached to the spectrometer. The background-corrected integrated signals were estimated after vaporization. The temperature program was optimized for the vaporization of bismuth to evaluate the peak shapes, reproducibility, and sensitivity. The widespread sample surface allowed more comprehensive elements to vaporize even in the absence of a chemical modifier.