Spectroscopy Techniques
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- Spectroscopy Techniques
Types of Techniques
- Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES)
- UV-Vis spectroscopy
- X-Ray fluorescence (XRF)
- Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS)
- Time-Resolved Photoluminescence Spectroscopy (TRPL)
- X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)
- Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES)
- Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)
- Atomic Fluorescence Spectroscopy (AFS)
- Infrared (IR) spectroscopy
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
- Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (Tof-SIMS)
- Spectrophotometer
- Mössbauer Spectroscopy
- ultra violet photoelectron spectroscopy
- Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR)
- Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectrometry
- X-ray Reflectivity (XRR)
- Total Reflection-TXRF
- Ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS)
- Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS)
- ToF Elestic Recoil Detection
- Spectroscopic Ellipsometry
Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES)

ICP-OES is a technique used to identify and measure the amount of different elements present in a sample. It’s particularly well-suited for analyzing liquid samples or materials that can be dissolved into a liquid form. It is frequently used in the petrochemical sector to assess different kinds of oil samples and identify the elements that make them up, which might be a quality indicator.
Inductively Coupligh Plasma Optical Emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) is an analytical technique used to determine how much of certain elements are in a sample. The ICP-OES principle uses the fact that atoms and ions can absorb energy to move electrons from the ground state to an excited state. In ICP-OES, the source of that energy is heat from an argon plasma that operates at 10,000 kelvin.
The ICP-OES principle relies on those excited atoms releasing light at specific wavelengths as they transition to a lower energy level. As an electron returns from a higher energy level to a lower energy level, usually the ground state, it emits light of a very specific wavelength. The type of atom or ion (i.e, which element it is), and the energy levels the electron is moving between, determines the wavelength of the emitted light. The amount of light released at each wavelength is proportional to the number of atoms or ions making the transition. The Beer Lambert law describes the relationship between light intensity and concentration of the element.
- Quantifying lead (Pb), arsenic (As), and mercury (Hg) in soil samples collected from a potentially contaminated industrial site. This helps assess potential health risks associated with heavy metal exposure.
- Determining the elemental composition of airborne particulate matter captured on filters. This can identify metal contaminants like chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), and nickel (Ni) in air pollution samples.
- Analyzing the exact percentages of iron (Fe), carbon (C), and manganese (Mn) in a steel sample to ensure it meets the desired specifications for a construction project.
- Investigating the cause of a cracked turbine blade by analyzing its elemental composition using ICP-OES. This might reveal unexpected elements or impurities that contributed to the material failure
- Detecting and quantifying lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in baby food samples to ensure they fall within safe consumption limits.
- Measuring the concentration of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in fortified cereals to verify they meet the advertised nutritional content.
- Investigating Industrial Wastewater
- Seawater and Brackish Water Analysis
- Drinking Water Analysis
- Evaluating Water Treatment Efficiency
- Quantifying trace metals like nickel (Ni), vanadium (V), sodium (Na), and iron (Fe) in crude oil samples.
- Analyzing metal components from pipelines or storage tanks that have undergone corrosion.
- High Sensitivity and Low Detection Limits
- Fast Analysis Times
- Multi-Element Analysis
- Minimal Sample Preparation
- Minimal Interferences
- Wide Applicability
- Solutions
- Water samples
- Oil samples
- Dissolved soil and rock samples