( Sherwood Model 410 )

Flame photometer directly measures Alkali and Alkaline Earth metals Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Lithium (Li), Calcium (Ca), Barium (Ba), Caesium (Cs), Rubidium (Rb) and Strontium ( Sr) by means of a low temperature flame using propane, butane or Natural gas.
The principles of flame emission spectroscopy were first investigated by Kirchoff and Bunsen (1860s).

In the 1920s Lundengardh refined the technique by incorporating a nebuliser and electro optical detector which paved the way to modern quantitative analysis. The first Model 100 Flame photometer was developed by Evans ElectroSelenium Ltd (EEL) in the late 1940s and the Model 410 Flame Photometer is the latest single channel Flame Photometer in that line.
System Requirements
A source of clean dry pulse-free compressed air at a pressure of 12-15 psi is essential for the Model 410 Flame Photometer. It is run on Butane, Propane, or a mixture of the two, and Natural gas.

Specification of the Sherwood Model 410 Flame Photometer:

Sample concentration entering aspiration
Na 0.5 – 40 ppm
K 0.5 – 20 ppm
Li 1.0 – 20 ppm
Ca 0 – 100 ppm
Ba 0 – 1000 ppm

Sensitivity
Minimum Detection Level = 3 x noise
Na 20 ppb
K 20 ppb
Li 50 ppb
Ca 0.2 ppm
Ba 20 ppm
Minimum Concentration to give 100 units on display
Na 0.5 ppm
K 0.5 ppm
Li 2.0 ppm
Ca 5.0 ppm
Ba 0 – 1000 ppm

Aspiration Rate
3 – 6 mls/min

Speed of Analysis
Time to stability 20 seconds

Useful links

http://www.sherwood-scientific.com/flame/sh410.html
http://www.geneq.com/catalog/en/flame_photometers.html