2. Current device performance

The performance of spark-ignition optical emission spectrometers has evolved considerably, particularly in the field of low-level analysis and in improving accuracy and detection limits.

These significant advances have been made possible mainly by the development of analysis data processing and the possibilities offered by the PDA (pulse discrimination analysis) mode (or Single Spark for Spectro, Spark-Dat for Thermo..., depending on the manufacturer).

The results delivered by the equipment available on the market can, for various reasons, be debated or even contested. The analytical characteristics presented by manufacturers may vary from one instrument to another. These characteristics are a direct function of the precision with which the instrument has been assembled by the manufacturer, but they are also linked to the individual characteristics...