The most important things to remember about the argon ICP plasma are:
• The argon discharge, with a temperature of around 6000-10000 K, is an excellent ion source.
• The ions formed by the ICP discharge are typically positive ions, M+ or M+2, therefore, elements that prefer to form negative ions, such as Cl, I, F, etc. are very difficult to determine via ICP-MS.
• The detection capabilities of the technique can vary with the sample introduction technique used, as different techniques will allow differing amounts of sample to reach the ICP plasma.
• Detection capabilities will vary with the sample matrix, which may affect the degree of ionization that will occur in the plasma or allow the formation of species that may interfere with the analyte determination.