Since we visit an analytical laboratory that services the steel industry here, several different analytical methods with appropriate sample preparation are explained. Methods range from common ones such as inductively coupled plasma analysis to state of the art scanning probe microscope. Each method begins with a brief illustration of the sample preparation required. Steel is digested with nitric acid in teflon beakers. Large amounts of noxious nitrogen oxides evolve.
Technicians use safety shields while digesting the samples in fume hoods.
Next, the method is explained and illustrated with diagrams, pictures of the apparatus in use, and movies of the apparatus where movement is important. The sample is vaporized producing both atoms and ions. Excited atoms and ions emit light as electrons return to the ground state. The peristaltic pump introduces the sample into the nebulizer at a constant rate. Constant flow rates for the samples and the standards are imperative to ensure reliable results.