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Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer

Also known as: ICP spectrometer, ICP-MS

Quick Summary

An Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) is a type of mass spectrometer that uses a high-frequency plasma to produce ions from a sample. Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique used to identify chemical substances by sorting gaseous ions based on their mass-to-charge ratios using electric and magnetic fields.12

An ICP-MS typically includes an ion source (the inductively coupled plasma), an analyzer to separate the ions, and a detector to measure them. This technique is valuable for identifying isotopes, determining the structure of complex organic molecules, and analyzing materials for impurities. It requires only small sample quantities for analysis.213

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