Multi-component determination of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium and neodymium by flame atomic emission spectrometry

The experimental parameters for the determination of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium and neodymium by atomic emission spectrometry using a dinitrogen oxide-acetylene flame were optimised. Detection limits obtained in the presence of 1000 p.p.m. of sodium were 1.2 ± 0.1, 4 ± 1, 0.4 ± 0.1 and 0.13 ± 0.07 p.p.m. for La, Ce, Pr and Nd, respectively, which are lower than those found in the literature.The existence of mutual spectral interferences in the determination of each of the elements considered was used to develop a strategy for the simultaneous determination of the four elements in the same sample, measuring the emission of the samples at four wavelengths (550.1, 520.2, 495.1, and 492.5 nm) and using monoelemental calibration graphs.