Optimization Procedures - PerkinElmer aanalyst 200 User Manual

Operation of the Instrument

Optimization Procedures

Before you calibrate the spectrometer and begin analyses, you must optimize the spectrometer to obtain
the best conditions for analyzing the requested element in your samples.
You can optimize:
•
The lamp: You must align the lamp in the optical path so that maximum radiant energy passes to the
detector.
•
The burner: Initially you must adjust the burner position so that the burner head is correctly located
just below the radiation beam. Since the location of maximum atom concentration in the flame varies
slightly from element to element, you must optimize the burner position while aspirating a suitable
standard solution so that the radiation beam passes through the region of the flame containing the
highest concentration of free analyte atoms.
•
The nebulizer: Initially you must set the solution aspiration rate. Since viscosity, density, and surface
tension can influence the aspiration rate to varying degrees, you must then optimize the aspiration rate
while aspirating a suitable standard solution that has a composition similar to your samples.
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