Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy techniques are the so-called "wet" sampling methods whereby samples are introduced in liquid form for analysis. In plasma emission spectroscopy (OES), a sample solution is introduced into the core of inductively coupled argon plasma (ICP), which generates temperature of approximately 8000°C. At this temperature all elements become thermally excited and emit light at their characteristic wavelengths. This light is collected by the spectrometer and passes through a diffraction grating that serves to resolve the light into a spectrum of its constituent wavelengths. Within the spectrometer, this diffracted light is then collected by wavelength and amplified to yield an intensity measurement that can be converted to an elemental concentration by comparison with calibration standards.
ICP plasma
