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Flame Spectrophotometer

Flame spectrophotometry is a technique that analyzes the light emitted or absorbed by excited atoms in a flame. It works similarly to spectrophotometry but uses a flame instead of a sample cell. The technique can be used for either emission flame photometry, which measures the characteristic emission spectrum of elements as excited atoms return to the ground state, or atomic absorption spectrophotometry, which measures the absorption of light by atoms in a flame. Factors like temperature, flame composition, and interfering substances must be carefully controlled to obtain accurate results. The technique provides both qualitative and quantitative analysis of elemental composition.

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22 views16 pages

Flame Spectrophotometer

Flame spectrophotometry is a technique that analyzes the light emitted or absorbed by excited atoms in a flame. It works similarly to spectrophotometry but uses a flame instead of a sample cell. The technique can be used for either emission flame photometry, which measures the characteristic emission spectrum of elements as excited atoms return to the ground state, or atomic absorption spectrophotometry, which measures the absorption of light by atoms in a flame. Factors like temperature, flame composition, and interfering substances must be carefully controlled to obtain accurate results. The technique provides both qualitative and quantitative analysis of elemental composition.

Uploaded by

Mahalakshmi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Flame Spectrophotometer

R.Mahalakshmi
Assistant Professor
Department of Biochemistry
Flame Spectrophotometer
• The flame photometric analysis method is more
or less similar to that of spectrophotometry
with the exception that the place of the sample
cell is taken by a flame.

• Consequently, it is the absorption or emission of


specific wavelengths by excited atoms that is
studied by this technique.
• The optical system and even the photo-
detectors used in spectrophotometry and flame
spectrophotometry are identical

• The general method of flame photometry can


be applied in two complementary ways:

– Emission flame photometry and

– Atomic absorption spectrophotometry.


Instrumentation for Emission Flame
Photometer
• Volatilization of molecules in a flame produces
free atoms and then excites them to higher
energy levels.

• The characteristic emission spectrum of the


element is produced when the excited atoms
return to their ground state.

• This is the principle of Emission Flame


Photometry.
• Atomic absorption spectrophotometry, on the
other hand, measures the absorption of a beam
of monochromatic light by atoms in a flame.

• Since the transitions available to the electrons in


any given atom are specified by the available
energy levels.
• Atomic spectra are absolutely specific for the
element involved.

• Moreover, the energy absorbed or emitted is


proportional to the number of atoms present in
the optical path.

• Thus, apart from giving the identity of the


element(s) present in a sample, flame
photometry also provides information about
the quantity of the element(s) present.
• The amount of energy emitted also depends
upon the temperature and composition of the
flame.

• It is therefore very necessary that the two flame


variables must be maintained constant and that
standard solutions be used to calibrate the
system.

• The need to maintain flame composition


constant also dictates which element should be
determined first.
• Thus, sodium which gives a very high
background emission is measured first and the
quantity of sodium determined is added to all
the standards.
• Certain elements, such as the alkali metals,
enhance the emission of other elements.

• On the other hand, some substances like


aluminate and silicate cause a decrease in
emission of other elements.

• To relieve this deleterious effect certain other


elements known as the releasing agents
(strontium or lanthanum) must be added.
• Another way to deal with interferences is to
measure all interfering components in a
given sample.

• After this, standards for each of the


components are prepared which contain the
previously determined concentration of
interfering components. This is known as
cyclical analysis.
• About two to three such cycles are necessary
before an accurate idea of the quantities of all
sample components can be determined with a fair
degree of accuracy.

• Organic material in biological samples (which might


cause interference) is usually removed by ashing.

• To prevent more volatile elements from getting


sublimated, the ashing is usually carried out under
low temperatures in the presence of oxygen.
• Alternatively, liquid ashing, (i.e) oxidative
digestion of the sample in hydrogen
peroxide/concentrated sulphuric acid solution
may be carried out.

• A small amount of selenium sulphate, if added.


acts as a catalyst, While lithium sulphate is
sometimes added to raise the boiling point.

• It is advisable to store samples and standards in


polythene bottles. This is so, since even the
good quality glass containers release metal ions.
• Flame instability can cause large errors in flame
photometric analysis.

• It is, therefore, essential that all assays be carried


out in triplicate. Calibration curves should be
checked or reconstructed when the assays are
carried out.

• If high accuracy is desired, a standard solution


containing more or less the same concentration of
the element as the sample solution, is assayed
immediately before and after the sample solution.
• This method is known as bracketting. Very
frequently. internal standards are used and
the choice element for this purpose is usually
lithium.
Fuels, gases and temperatures used in flame spectrophotometry

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