Correlation between the Gas Temperature and the Atomization Behavior of Analyte Elements in Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry Estimated with a Continuum-light-source Spectrometer System

In flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), the gas temperature for two types of the gas compositions, which was estimated based on a two-line method by using a simultaneous multi-wavelength spectrometer, on which a line pair of ruthenium, Ru I 372.692 nm and Ru I 372.803 nm having different excitation energies, was measured at the same time. Also using the spectrometer system, the absorption signals of both iron and ruthenium, whose oxides had different thermodynamic properties: the latter oxide was decomposed much more easily than the former one, were investigated with a nitrous oxide - acetylene flame, in comparison with an air - acetylene flame. The fuel/oxidant ratio of both the flames as well as the height of the optical path was varied as an experimental parameter. The atomization behavior of iron and ruthenium, which could be deduced from a variation in their absorption signals, was considered to be dependent not only on the gas temperature but on reducing atmosphere of the flame gas, which might be attributed to reducing radicals in a fuel-excess flame consisting of nitrous oxide. In the nitrous oxide - acetylene flame, a broader optical path having a constant and higher temperature was obtained, thus contributing to formation of analyte atoms with a stable atomization efficiency and eventually to better precision in the analytical result in FAAS.