Abstract: An atomic absorption spectrometer contains a line-emitting first light source (16), an official system (20, 22, 28, 30, 34) for generating a measuring light beam (18) which passes through a test sample space (12) and impinges on a photoelectric detector (38). An atomization device (14) for atomizing a test sample is so arranged in the test sample space that the constituents of the test sample are present in atomic form in an atomization region traversed by the measuring light beam (18). A light beam (72) is emitted continuously by a second light source (70). A beam splitter (74) reflects the light beam from the second light source (70) as a reference beam into the optical path of the measuring light beam (18). The two light sources (16, 70) can be switched on alternately by switching means. The beam splitter (74) can be removed optionally from the optical path.

Abstract: A method of and a device for multi-element measurement of elements in a sample with correction for background emission. The method starts with atomizing a sample and then exciting the transformed atoms to emit light containing characteristic spectral lines for each element, followed by generating a spectrum of spectral lines characteristic of the elements, followed by measuring the intensity of selected spectral lines falling within a predetermined measuring range without changing their intensity. The next steps are sensing the background emission adjacent the selected spectral lines simultaneously with measuring the intensity of selected spectral lines and determining the concentration of each element from the measured intensity of the corresponding spectral line and sensed background emission.

Abstract: An atomic emission spectrometer for multi-element measurement of elements in a sample comprises an apparatus to atomize the sample and to excite the atoms for emitting characteristic spectral lines, a dispersion device which generates a spectrum of the light emitted by the atoms in a focal plane, and a plurality of semiconductor photodetectors, each of which is exposed to one of said characteristic spectral lines. A plurality of semiconductor photodetectors which are exposed to different spectral lines of different intensities of the line spectrum emitted by the atoms of the respective element are utilized so as to achieve a sufficiently large dynamic range for each element to be measured. For measuring each element, an evaluating circuit is arranged to select one semiconductor photodetector for which the intensity of the associated spectral line lies within a part of the measuring range of the semiconductor photodetector which is as favorable as possible.

Abstract: In an atomic absorption spectrometer with an atomizing device (190) and a line emitting light source (16), an optical system (22,28 . . . ) for generating a measuring light beam (18), and a photo-electrical detector (38), which are arranged in a housing (10) which forms a sample cavity (12) accessible from the outside and which is passed through by a measuring light beam (18) and into which different atomizing devices can be optionally inserted, the atomizing device (190) with the specific components (104,124,126) is assembled to form an insert unit (100) in which the atomizing device (190) in the form of a graphite furnace has a well-defined position relatively to the insert unit (100) and which in turn can be inserted into the sample cavity (12) in a well-defined position to provide an entirely functioning atomic absorption spectrometer.