ABSTRACT
It is easy for the reader to be overwhelmed by the wide range of bulk-sample inorganic analysis methods described in Chapters 4 to 12. Many of the instrumental techniques in use today offer an impressive multi-analyte capability spanning a wide concentration range, so that for routine elemental analyses of the commoner elements a number of alternative methods may seem, on the face of it, to cover the same parts of the periodic table and to perform equally well. How does the analyst (or the client selecting a commercial analysis service) decide which of these techniques best serves their immediate need? In what instrumentation will an expanding analytical service company invest its shareholders’ capital in order to meet most effectively the expected demands of its clients?
