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PittCon Short Course:

How to Select an ICP-MS: The Most Important Analytical Considerations

Location: Pittsburgh Conference, Orlando, FL

Date: March, 13, 2012 - Tuesday Morning of PittCon

Time: 8.30 am - 12.30 pm

Presenter: Robert Thomas

Course Description: The aim of the course is to provide a basic understanding of the most important selection criteria for analysts in the trace metal community who are looking to purchase a new ICP-MS system - and in particular what instrument features impact performance and how best to evaluate them.

Course Outline: The course will focus on the most common analytical objectives when carrying out trace metal analysis and how they impact the evaluation of ICP-MS systems. This will be followed by a discussion about the most important selection criteria and the many decisions that need to be made in order to compare different commercial approaches. The majority of the course will be devoted to a technical discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of different designs, including an in-depth look at collision/reaction cell technology, and how they impact the analysis of real-world samples.  In addition, some non-technical considerations, like reliability, usability, routine maintenance and cost of ownership, will be presented.

Target Audience: It is targeted at chemists/technicians who are carrying out the evaluation of commercial ICP-MS instrumentation, but would also be very useful for management who want to better understand the non-technical and financial side of the selection process.

Biographical information of Presenter: Robert Thomas has worked in trace element analysis for almost 40 years - 10 years as an analytical chemist in the metallurgical industry and 20 years in sales, marketing and product development, for a manufacturer of ICP-MS instrumentation in the U.S. For the past 12 years he has been principal of his own consulting company, specializing in trace element analysis. He has authored almost 80 technical papers/articles and has recently published his second textbook entitled “A Practical Guide to ICP-MS: A Tutorial for Beginners”. He has a graduate degree in analytical chemistry from Gwent College in the UK and was recently awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC).

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