Shimadzu Corporation

Hidehisa Nishigaki

Kikuo Sasaki

A flame-type atomic absorption spectrophotometer forms a flame by igniting a mixture of a fuel gas and a first combustion support gas such as air and then the first combustion support gas is replaced by a second combustion support gas such as nitrous oxide with a faster combustion speed. An optical sensor is disposed near the flame to detect the quantity of light therefrom. A gas flow rate control device independently controls the flow rates of the fuel gas, the first combustion support gas and the second combustion support gas to the flame. A combustion control unit serves to switch the gas to be supplied to the flame from the first combustion support gas to the second combustion support gas, based on how much the quantity of light detected by the optical sensor changes between the time of ignition and after the flow rate of the fuel gas and/or the first combustion support gas is changed.

Flame-type atomic absorption spectrophotometer

A sample injector (32) with an upwardly opened sample receiving hole is connected to an atomizer (36) of a flame type atomizing means and on a burner chamber (7) a flameless type atomizing means is mounted ahead of a burner head (9). For distribution of the sample by an auto-sampler (40) it is so arranged that the nozzle is movable to the sample bottle of the auto-sampler (40) and the sample injector (32) or a sample injection hole (30) of the atomizing means placed at the measuring position. This arrangement enables injection of the sample into the atomizing means of either type by means of a common auto-sampler, this facilitating switching between the flame system and the flameless system.

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Shiga, Japan

Hidehisa Nishigaki