Its name tells it all, says Spectro: Arcos (advanced Rowland circle optical system) offers up to two-times better resolution, and is ideal for line-rich matrices and for ultra-trace analysis
Spectro Analytical Instruments unveiled the latest state-of-the-art ICP-OES instrument - the Spectro Arcos - at Pittcon 2007.
According to Spectro, there is no faster or more sensitive inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) instrument commercially available.
The Spectro Arcos is especially suited for such demanding analytical applications as ultra-trace analysis for environmental applications or line-rich spectra for metal applications or the analysis of organic materials in petrochemistry.
The new instrument's high performance results from the two completely new major components: the optics and the generator.
In the optic, Spectro utilises 32 linear CCD detectors in an optimised Paschen-Runge mount Orca (optimised Rowland circle alignment) for the simultaneous recording of the wavelengths between 130 and 770nm.
However, what makes the optic so special is the enormous focal length of 750mm, which improves the resolution by a factor of two.
Coupled with the higher resolution is an improvement in the signal to background ratio, which has also been bettered by a factor of up to two.
The optic is constructed in two aluminum half-shells.
That enables an extremely compact construction so that a great deal less inert gas is required to fill the optical chamber than a conventional assembly.
Once again, Spectro utilises the proven UV-Plus inert gas filter system in the Spectro Arcos that requires no flushing whatsoever.
Over the lifetime of the spectrometer this can mean a savings of up to one third of the initial instrument purchase price when compared to a purged system.
The other major development in the new Spectro Arcos is its generator.
Here too, major technological advances are combined that result in significant economic improvements.
The generator uses a tube with a maximum input power of 5kW; however, the maximum load during an analysis is only 1.7kilowatts.
There are enough high-power reserves for even peak loads such as for the analysis of volatile organic materials, so that the generator has an excellent lifetime.
The low-temperature ceramic tube is forced air cooled by an internal ventilation system, eliminating the need for uneconomical liquid coolants.
Based upon these improvements, the Spectro Arcos is faster than all of its predecessors and competitive products, creating and processing a complete spectrum in two seconds.
In time resolution mode, sampling frequencies of up to ten measurements per second can be achieved enabling hyphenated measurements, for example, the analysis of trivalent and hexavalent chromium using IC-ICP-OES.
