ICP training for laboratories

What is PKI?

First of all, it is necessary to define what ICP is. ICP is the abbreviation of Inductively Coupled Plasma.  Indeed, it is an analytical technique with inductively coupled plasma which allows to measure the content of an inorganic element present in a sample. This technique is applicable to all types of elemental chemical elements.

Then, the analysis of a sample by ICP is indeed composed of several steps: 

• First, the solid sample must be put in solution thanks to a strong acid, a mixture of strong acids or by microwave. This is called mineralization.
• Secondly, the preparation is introduced by argon plasma vaporization and then placed at very high temperatures. These thermal excitations lead to ionization and separation of the elements. They thus make it possible to characterize and detect each element according to the analyzers used.