Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation has launched the SSC-400 sample preparation unit/autosampler for its Z-5300 flame only and Z-5000 tandem atomic absorption spectrophotometers
The SSC-400 brings enormous versatility to sampling for flame AAS and can carry out a number of important sampling procedures in conjunction with the spectrophotometer's QC software.
The new unit can accommodate up to 80 sample tubes of 15ml volume and up to eight 50ml reagent vessels.
Reagents can be added to the sample in volumes from 0.1 to 5ml.
The system can be set up to automatically measure standards and produce calibration curves, and when the concentration of the sample is too high, the sample can be diluted by a factor of 2-100 times and measured.
The SSC-400 can also be used with the spectrophotometer's automatic QC facility.
This QC routine can perform an automatic sequence of operations ranging from calibration curve checks to sample dilution.
The provision of these checking functions ensures the reliability and accuracy of the analysis data.
The QC function tests the validity of the calibration data and other parameters such as the standards used.
The SSC-400 allows standards to be diluted automatically if they are found to lie outside the threshold values.
Since the checks can be executed individually or in combination, a comprehensive routine of testing, evaluation, modification and retesting can be carried out.
In addition, the sample itself can be tested both to ensure that it lies within the working curve range and, by checking the recovery rate, an evaluation can be made of the degree of interference from other substances present.
