Abstract
This article attempts to give an overview of analytical atomic spectrometry in combination with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and microwave induced plasma (MIP) for the determination of trace elements in iron and steel. The aim is to introduce, in a first part, recent trends in ICP-atomic emission spectrometry (AES) and ICP-mass spectrometry (MS) in terms of sample dissolution, interference study, chemical separation of the analyte elements, sample introduction technique and isotope dilution method utilized only for ICP-MS. In a second part, this paper is meant for a basic information for a description of high-power MIP produced using an Okamoto cavity for AES, especially its combination with hydride introduction into an MIP. High-power nitrogen MIP-AES has successfully coupled with hydride introduction technique for the single- and multi-element determination of several hydride-forming elements in iron and steel samples. Finally, conclusive remarks will be depicted for ICP-AES, ICP-MS and MIP-AES in the steel-making industry.
