Introduction of powdered solid samples as aerosols into the inductively coupled plasma using a powder disperser

The PCW-powder disperser (named after the workers who developed the device) generates an aerosol from a finely divided, powdered solid sample. The aerosol is generated and contained in an inflated latex balloon. Controlled deflation of the balloon allows uniform aerosol delivery to the plasma over a period of time (nominally 30 s). A quasi steady-state signal results. The separation of aerosol generation from aerosol delivery allows better control of the flow of particles entering the plasma, which in turn allows the plasma to remain stable throughout the experiment. The powder disperser has been used to introduce several different powder types into the inductively coupled plasma for qualitative determination using atomic emission and mass spectrometric detection. The performance of the device using these instruments is discussed. Preliminary quantitative data are presented.