Analysis of Vanadium, Nickel, Sodium, and Iron in Fuel Oils using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry

This application note presents the elemental analysis of fuel oil by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (FAAS) and compares this to inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). ICP-OES is the preferred technique for petroleum analyses, it is shown, however, that FAAS methods are effective and rapid for smaller numbers of elements. In addition, flame AA instruments tend to be more compact than ICP-OES instruments, cost a fraction of the price, and require less operator training.