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flame photometric detector

instrument

Quick Summary

The flame photometric detector is an instrument used in chromatography to detect specific elements within a sample. It operates by burning the sample in a flame, which excites certain elements to emit light at distinctive wavelengths. The detector then measures the intensity of this emitted light using a photometric circuit. This method is particularly effective for detecting elements like sulfur and phosphorus, as well as halogens, by sensing the ionic species they form when burned.1

A related instrument, the flame photometer, is a type of spectrophotometer used for quantitative analysis. It vaporizes a spray of metallic salts in solution within a hot flame and measures the intensities of the spectral lines of the metals present.2

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