What is Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectrometer(ICP-AES/ICP-OES)?
Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), also referred to as inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), is an analytical technique used for the detection of chemical elements. It is a type of emission spectroscopy that uses inductively coupled plasma to produce excited atoms and ions that emit electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths characteristic of a particular element. The plasma is a high-temperature source of ionized source gas (often argon). The plasma is sustained and maintained by inductive coupling from electrical coils at megahertz frequencies. The source temperature is in the range of 6000 to 10,000 K. The intensity of the emissions from various wavelengths of light is proportional to the concentrations of the elements within the sample.
Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) is an analytical technique used to determine how much of certain elements are in a sample. The ICP-OES principle uses the fact that atoms and ions can absorb energy to move electrons from the ground state to an excited state.
The difference between ICP-AES and ICP-OES is that ICP-AES tests each element one by one, while ICP-OES tests all elements at once.
Features of ICP-AES/ICP-OES
ICP-AES is often used for the analysis of trace elements in soil, and it is for that reason it is often used in forensics to ascertain the origin of soil samples found at crime scenes or on victims, etc. Taking one sample from a control and determining the metal composition and taking the sample obtained from evidence and determining that metal composition allows a comparison to be made. While soil evidence may not stand alone in court it certainly strengthens other evidence.
ICP-OES can even detect a variety of non-metals, which is a limitation of other similar techniques, including AAS and AFS. In addition, ICP-OES can be used to identify multiple elements simultaneously. This is another major advantage compared to AAS and AFS, both of which can only detect one element at a time.
Applications of ICP-AES/ICP-OES
- ICP-OES can handle geological, mining, and rare earth elements. ICP-OES is widely used in mining processes, mining purity control, rocks analysis, etc. Many mines use ICP-OES to check for the purity of the extracted ores of manganese, nickel, or precious metals.
- ICP-OES is used in many fields: R&D, Quality Control and Quality Assurance, Analytical Service, etc. The main market remains Analytical Services and QC/QA for production control of intermediate and final products. The domains of applications addressed by an ICP-OES vary significantly according to the design of the instrument and its performance.
- The main application is the environment (water, soils, sludges, air…) as there is a strong need to monitor element presence and content as it relates to human consumption and impact. For QA/QC, the main customers are chemical, mining, precious metals, and metallurgical companies. ICP-OES is used to guarantee the quality of raw materials as well as the final product. Intermediate products are also analyzed so processes can be fully monitored. Petrochemistry uses also ICP-OES, for petroleum refining and lubricant oil production, but also for some applications such as wear metals in oil analysis that allow preventive maintenance to be done for engines (mining trucks, airplanes, etc.).
Different Applications of Spectrophotometer
Application | Spectrophotometer Type | Picture | Model |
Gold in Ore, Metallurgy. Geology, Mining, Petroleum. Cement, Soil, Medicine, etc. |
AAS | ![]() |
DW-AA320N |
Alloy, Mineral, Precious Metal, RoHS, Catalyst etc. | XRF | ![]() |
DW-NP-5010 |
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EDX3600H | ||
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TrueX 900 | ||
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EDX800 | ||
MaterialsAnalysis, Geology, Petrochemicals, Biology, Cement, Soil, Cosmetics, Food, etc. |
ICP-AES | ![]() |
DW-TY-9900 |
Foundry, Steel, Metal Recovery, Smelting, MilitaryAerospace, etc. | Full Spectrum Direct Reading Spectrometer | ![]() |
DW-TY9000 |
How to Choose the Model?
The user needs to provide the application field used, what is the sample to be tested, what elements need to be detected, what is the detection level, ppm or ppb, and so on. Then we will recommend the appropriate product model.
Order Process of ICP-AES/ICP-OES

Why Choose Us for ICP-AES/ICP-OES?
- Rich categories
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- On-time delivery rate reaches 100%
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