FLAME EMISSION

SPECTROMETRY
Principle
M.Shalini
Dept of Chemical
Adhiyamaan college of
Engg,hosur
 R e la tio n sh ip B e tw e e n A to m ic
A b so rp tio n a n d Fla m e E m issio n
S p e Emission
•Flame ctro sco p−>y it measures the radiation
emitted by the excited atoms that is related
to concentration.
• Atomic Absorption -> it measures the
radiation absorbed by the unexcited atoms
that are determined.
Atomic absorption depends only upon the number
of unexcited atoms, the absorption intensity
is not directly affected by the temperature of
the flame.
The flame emission intensity in contrast,
being dependent upon the number of excited
atoms, is greatly influenced by temperature
variations.
COMPARISON OF FES AND AAS
1.FES is better for determinations
of alkali, alkaline-earth and rare
earth elements as well as Ga, In
and Ti.
2.Flame AAS permits
Ag,Al,Au,Cd,Cu,Hg,Pg,Te,Sb,Se and Sn
to be detected with high
sensitivity.
3.FES permits quantitative multi-
element analysis.
4.Flame noise is greater in FES
than AAS.
PRETREATMENT OF SAMPLE
BOTH FLAME AAS AND FES REQUIRES THE
SAMPLE( ANALYTE) TO BE DISSOLVED IN SOLVENT TO
UNDERGO NEBULIZATION.
THE ANALYST MUST BE CAREFUL TO CHOOSE THE
SOLVENT WHICH HAS LESS INTERFERENCE PROBLEMS.
 SAMPLE DELIVERY
T H E M O S T P O P U LA R S A M P LIN G
M E T H O D IS THE NEBULIZATION OF THE
LIQUID SAMPLE TO PROVIDE A STEADY FLOW
OF AEROSOL INTO FLAME.
FOR LIQUID SAMPLES:
3 COMPONENTS
(1). A NEBULIZER
(2). AN AEROSOL MODIFIER
(3). THE FLAME OR ATOMIZER
NEBULIZATION- Pneumatic
nebulizer
THE ABOVE PNEUMATIC NEBULIZER
FUNCTION AS FOLLOWS:
•THE SAMPLE AND THE NEBULIZING GAS
MEETS AT RIGHT ANGLE AND CONVERTED
INTO AEROSOL
•THE AEROSOL THEN STRIKES AN IMPACT
BEAD ( NOT SHOWN) WHICH SEPERATES
THE AEROSOL INTO SIZE
•THE SMALLER SIZE DROPS ENTER THE
FLAME
•THE LARGER DROPS ARE DRAINED
•
Pneumatic nebulizer
In th e a b o ve n e b u lize r
• THE SAMPLE IS SUCKED IN
THROUGH THE CAPILLARY BY THE
FLOW OF NEBULIZING GAS ( HERE
ARGON)
•THE AEROSOL GENERATED IN THE
SPRAY CHAMBER IS SEPERATED INTO
SIZE.
•THE SMALLER DROPS ARE CARRIED TO
THE FLAME AND THE LARGER DROPS
ARE DRAINED
 ATOMIZATION
FLAME ATOMIZERS
The Functions of Flame
1. To convert the constituents of liquid
sample into the vapor state.
2. To decompose the constituents into atoms
or simple molecules:
M+ + e- (from flame) −> M +
hν
3. To electronically excite a fraction of
the resulting atomic or molecular species
M −> M*
FLAMES ARE NOT UNIFORM IN
COMPOSITION, LENGTH AND CROSS-
SECTION. THE STRUCTURE OF A
PREMIXED FLAME , SUPPORTED ON A
LAMINAR FLOW BURNER IS SHOWN
ABOVE.

THE CONCENTRATION OF UNEXCITED

AND EXCITED ATOMS IS DETERMINED
BY FUEL/OXIDANT RATIO
IN FES, THE ACETYLENE/AIR IS USED
PRACTICALLY FOR ALL PURPOSES IN
DETERMINING THE AMOUNTS OF
ALKALI METAL ELEMENTS.
THE HOTTER FLAMES PROVIDE HIGH
SENSITIVITY.
SHIELDING A FLAME WITH A SHEATH
OF INERT GAS, BLOWN AROUND
OUTSIDE OF THE FLAME , CAUSES AN
ELONGATION OF THE INTERCONAL
ZONE THUS REDUCING FLAME NOISE.
Other Applications

The flame photometer is especially useful in the

determination of an alkali and similar metals
because of the scarcity of other good
quantitative methods for these substances.
Suggested applications are in the study of the
co-precipitation of sodium ion with colloidal
ferric hydroxide (other precipitates or ions
might also be used), in the study of equilibrium
constants involving ion-exchange resins, in the
determination of lithium in the presence of
magnesium or other alkaline earth or alkali
elements, in the determination of Ca(II) and
Mg(II) in cement, and in the analysis of a high-
detergency motor oil for barium.