Real-time analysis of CuO by inductively coupled plasma emission without external calibration

The study of a method, devoted to real-time detection of metallic pollutants present in stack gas, is investigated. This method is based on spectroanalysis using an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) emission system without external calibration. The fluidized bed technology is employed to inject metallic species into the ICP emission. The mass fluxes of copper oxide (CuO) are then determined by using the intensity ratios of the metallic element spectral lines with those of the plasma gas element (argon or dry air). These ratios and the plasma characteristics (atomic excitation temperature, degree of thermal disequilibrium θ=Te/Th) are inserted into a calculation code of plasma composition to determine the mass flux. The results are in good agreement using either argon plasma or dry air plasma. A study of the fluidized bed properties is made to compare our values with those resulting from the elutriation calculation of the copper oxide