Aims to provide scientists with information about a series of techniques that can be used with a view to facilitating the transformation of the sample to an appropriate state for subsequent detection or quantitation of its components of interest. This work also deals with acceleration of solid sample pretreatment.

This book aims to provide scientists with information about a series of techniques that can be used with a view to facilitating the transformation of the sample to an appropriate state for subsequent detection or quantitation of its components of interest. The techniques dealt with range from the very simple ones (e.g. freeze-drying) to other more complex ones (e.g. glow discharge and laser-induced breakdown sampling). This is the first compilation ever on the subjects of acceleration of solid sample pretreatment; automation of solid sample pretreatment; and integration of solid sample pretreatment and detection. Readers will find here the information required to compare and select the best choice for each sample treatment need and ways to facilitate or automate the most complex and time-consuming step of the analytical process when solid samples are involved.

Introduction to solid sample pretreatment. Analytical freeze-drying. Analytical uses of ultrasounds. Solid sample treatments involving the removal of volatile species. Microwave-assisted solid sample treatment. High-pressure, high-temperature solvent extraction. Analytical supercritical fluid extraction. Devices for solid sample treatment prior to introduction into atomic spectrometers: electrothermal devices and glow-discharge sources. Laser-assisted solid sampling. Robotic solid sample pretreatment.