Determination of phosphorus and sulfur in fuel rich air-hydrogen flames

Excitation conditions for the green HPO bands, the uv PO bands, and the violet S(2) bands were explored. A cylindrical glass shield placed around the tip of a Beckman (sprayer) burner provided a simple arrangement to isolate a fuel rich environment of a reversed air-hydrogen flame. Samples were converted to aerosol in a separate nebulization chamber. The HPO band at 5262 A gave a detection limit of 6 microg/ml; the S(2) band, 5 microg/ml. Owing to low flame noise, both detection limits could be improved with interference filters in place of the Beckman small quartz monochromator. The PO bands are emitted best from fuel rich oxygen-acetylene flames with the normal Beckman sprayer burner. The significant aspect of this study lies in the introduction of liquid samples and circumvention of lengthy, and often uncertain, decomposition steps when handling many types of organic and biochemical compounds containing phosphorus and sulfur.