Analysis of trace elements in pentanol using the Thermo Scientific iCAP 7000 Series ICP-OES

Importance of the Topic

Organic solvents such as pentanol are widely used and emerging as drop-in biofuels. Trace element analysis ensures product quality and compliance with regulations by detecting potential contaminants that can affect performance, safety, and environmental impact.

Goals and Study Overview

This study aims to demonstrate a robust routine method for quantifying trace metals in pentanol using the Thermo Scientific iCAP 7600 ICP-OES Duo. It covers calibration, method development, and detection limit evaluation in order to verify accuracy and reproducibility for regulatory and industrial applications.

Methodology and Instrumentation

The analytical setup combines the iCAP 7600 ICP-OES Duo with an organic sample introduction kit featuring a V-groove nebulizer, baffled cyclonic spray chamber, and dedicated tubing.

• Calibration: Two standards (1–5 mg/kg) plus a spiked blank prepared in 1-pentanol.
• Instrument parameters: 1150 W RF power, radial and axial viewing, gas flows optimized for organic matrix.
• Detection limit study: Ten replicates of calibration blank, MDLs calculated as three times standard deviation.

Main Results and Discussion

• Recovery for most elements fell within ±10% of target; aluminum showed 114% recovery.
• %RSD values were under 2% for nearly all elements; sodium and potassium exhibited slightly higher variability due to carbon background.
• Method detection limits ranged from 0.1 to 7.7 µg/kg; sodium (22 µg/kg) and potassium (55 µg/kg) were the highest.

Integration of compressed air to the auxiliary gas stream was suggested to reduce carbon-based interferences, thereby improving MDLs for Na and K.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Enables reliable analysis of organic solvents without major hardware modifications.
• Delivers low detection limits suitable for QA/QC of fuel additives, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
• Simplifies workflow by using a single instrument for both aqueous and organic matrices.

Future Trends and Applications

Integration of renewable bio-based pentanol production will increase demand for robust trace element analysis. Advances may include automated interference correction, plasma robustness enhancements, and coupling with hyphenated techniques for comprehensive speciation studies.

Conclusion

The Thermo Scientific iCAP 7600 ICP-OES Duo, equipped with an organic sample introduction kit, demonstrates accurate, precise, and sensitive trace element determination in pentanol, confirming its suitability for routine industrial and research applications.

Reference

No additional literature references were provided in the original application note.