Selecting the Right Nebulizer

Nebulizer Selection Criteria

Our most popular and universally used nebulizer is the PEEK Mira Mist.

The PEEK Mira Mist handles most liquids and most sample flow ranges used in ICP and ICP-MS. Because it it made out of PEEK, it is also the strongest and most rugged of our nebulizers and has the longest life span. In specific cases, one of our other nebulizers may be a better fit. The following descriptions and tables are provided to help with your nebulizer selection.

1. PEEK Mira Mist:
The most common choice for most Instruments, most samples: It has a lower cost than the Teflon Mira Mist, same excellent stability, %RSD, intensities. Can run from 0.2 to 2.5 ml/min. The Peek body will not handle some organic solvents, HF over 5%, high concentrations of HNO3 or Sulphuric acid.

2. Teflon Mira Mist:
The most versatile nebulizer for any instrument running concentrated acids, HF, or organic solvents. It also runs low acids or waters of course - it handles all solvents. Its excellent stability, low %RSD, and high intensities are the same as the Peek Mira Mist. The main reason to choose it is for sample acids/solvents that would damage the Peek bodies.

3. Ari Mist:
For low flow applications for ICP/MS instruments. Handles small particulates - at 225 micron ID, the sample capillary is still larger than most concentrics. Runs from 100 ul/min to 1.5 ml/min. The Peek body will not handle some organic solvents, HF, high concentrations of HNO3 or Sulphuric acid. Excellent stability, %RSD, and intensities.

4. T2100:
Best choice for lots of undissolved particles, or slurries. Gives the same intensities and stability as a Mira Mist for more than 0.5 ml/min sample flows. Good for most Instruments, most samples, with concentrated acids, or organic solvents and lots of undissolved particles, very good stability, %RSD, and intensities.

5. T2002:
Generally, the T2100 is a better choice for any application considering these. These are usually only selected if trying to match old procedures and protocols. The T2100 lasts longer, handles larger undissolved particles, and gives the same intensities and stability for more than 0.5 ml/min sample flows. These will work for most instruments, most samples, with concentrated acids, or organic solvents and lots of undissolved particles, very good stability, %RSD, and intensities.

6. Mira Mist CE:
These are special application high pressure nebulizers: only used when low flow or very high stability and intensities are required. Highest cost, require higher pressure than available in most instruments.

7. Enya Mist
For ICP/MS applications. Allows direct connection of uHPLC, HPLC, and syringe pumps. Handles from 200 nanoliters/min to 250 microliters/min.
Small sample capillary provides enough back pressure to enable Split Flow applications. Can split sample flow at nebulizer in 30 - 50 X splits.

8. PFA 260
For ICP/MS applications. This is essentially an Ari Mist made of PFA on the parts that are in contact with the sample. The PFA 260 allows a bit lower flow than a standard Ari Mist, but with all the advantages still present: low flow, difficult to salt or plug, high particulate tolerance. Handles from 50 microliters/min to 1.5 ml/min. PFA inner capillary extends out back of nebulizer for easy connection to 1/16" tubing fittings, and PFA only contact with the sample.

9. SS 50 & LB 30:
Special application low pressure high sample flow high gas flow nebulizer. Used for industrial sprays, not for ICP, ICP/MS analysis. These nebulizers are made to order and can be made in many sizes and shapes, with many types of materials.

The Burgener Advantage

Burgener Nebulizers use the patented Enhanced Parallel Path Method of creating a mist. This atomization method creates the most stable mist and the smallest droplets of any pneumatic nebulizer.

Most Burgener nebulizers have Teflon sample passages and gas passages. Teflon is a non-wetting material which means no sticking, and no cross contamination between samples if the nebulizer is properly flushed between runs. It also means no salt build ups, making these nebulizers virtually un-pluggable. Teflon is a chemically resistant material and not effected by standard lab acids or organics.

The external nebulizer bodies are either PEEK or Teflon. PEEK has the advantage of being very tough and durable, so our nebulizers can last a very long time. As long as the tip of the nebulizer is protected, the nebulizer bodies are essentially unbreakable. Teflon is used for nebulizers destined for high acidity samples that can eventually turn PEEK brittle. Because nothing sticks to Teflon, strong acids merely wash away and do not effect the Teflon interiors or exteriors.

 Standard Nebulizers

Nebulizer Model Outer Body Material Inner Capillary Material Operating Pressure at .8 l/min (PSI) Sample Flow Rate (microliters/min) Sample Capillary I.D. (microns) Nose Length Nose Diameter Overall Length Standard Gas Line Ability to Plug Compatable Chambers Applications & Comments
PEEK Mira Mist PEEK PTFE Teflon 35-45 200 - 2500 500 34 mm 6 mm 65 mm 2 mm Possible, not likely All High salts, medium particles. Not recommended for concentrated acids, some organics. Excellent %RSD (< .7%), sensitivity & long term stability.
Teflon Mira Mist PTFE Teflon PTFE Teflon 35-45 200 - 2500 500 34 mm 6 mm 65 mm 2 mm Possible, not likely All High salts, medium particles. Recommended for all acids, all organics. Excellent %RSD (< .7%), sensitivity & long term stability.
T 2100 PTFE Teflon PTFE Teflon 30-40 500 - 2500 750 34 mm 6 mm 65 mm 2 mm Nearly Impossible All High salts, larger particles. Recommended for all acids, all organics. Excellent %RSD (< 1%) & stability. Very good sensitivity.
Ari Mist PEEK PTFE Teflon 35-45 50 - 1000 225 34 mm 6 mm 65 mm 2 mm Possible, not likely All Medium salts, NO particles. Micro flow for alcohol, organics: 50 ul/min +. Very good %RSD (generally < 1%) & excellent sensitivity.
T2002 PTFE Teflon PTFE Teflon 35-45 800 - 2500 500-800 28 mm 6 mm 58.4 mm 1/8", 1/4", 4 mm available. Will not plug All High salts, larger particles. Very good %RSD (generally < 1%), good sensitivity.

Nano and Micro Low Flow Nebulizers 

Nebulizer Model Body Material Inner Capillary Material Operating Pressure at .8 l/min (PSI) Sample Flow Rate (microliters/min) Sample Capillary I.D. (microns) Nose Length Nose Diameter Overall Length Standard Gas Line Ability to Plug Compatable Chambers Applications & Comments
Mira Mist - CE PTFE Teflon PEEK 75-90 2 - 2500 500 34 mm 6 mm 65 mm 2 mm Possible, not likely All (runs well with a Mini Chamber) Designed for CE-ICP-MS. Allows CE capillary to extend to tip. Also runs as excellent nebulizer without CE capillary.
PFA 250 PFA Teflon & PEEK PFA Teflon 32 50 - 2000 250 34 mm 6 mm 65 mm 2 mm Possible All Medium salts, small particles. Ultra clean PFA construction (all wetted parts are PFA). Good %RSD (< 2%). Excellent sensitivity & low flow capability.
PFA 260 PFA Teflon & PEEK PFA Teflon 50 50 - 2000 250 34 mm 6 mm 65 mm 2 mm Possible All Medium salts, small particles. Ultra clean PFA construction (all wetted parts are PFA). Good %RSD (< 2%). Excellent sensitivity & low flow capability.
X - 175 PTFE Teflon & PEEK PEEK 40 50 - 1000 175 34 mm 6 mm 65 mm 2 mm Very possible All standard Medium salts, NO particles. Excellent %RSD (< 1%) & sensitivity. Designed for ICP-MS low flow applications. Can also do micro flow for alcohol, organics: 5 ul/min +. Greater stability than the Ari Mist HP.
NX - 175 PTFE Teflon & PEEK PEEK 30 50 - 1000 175 34 mm 6 mm 65 mm 2 mm Very possible All standard Medium salts, NO particles. Excellent %RSD (< 1%) & sensitivity. Designed for NexION and Bruker/Varian ICP-MS low flow applications with 1.2 L/min gas flow at 50 psi. Can also do micro flow for alcohol, organics: 5 ul/min + Greater stability than the Ari Mist HP.
ENYA Mist PTFE Teflon PEEK 50 0.2 - 50 60 34 mm 6 mm 65 mm 2 mm Very possible All (runs well with a Mini Chamber) Medium salts, NO particles. Good %RSD (< 2%). Excellent sensitivity, but low flow lowers intensities. Tiny sample passage allows for split flow - pump 30 - 50X what actually arrives in the nebulizer. The rest goes to the drain. Minimizes oxides in ICP-MS.

Special Purpose Nebulizers

Nebulizer Model Body Material Operating Pressure at .8 l/min (PSI) Sample Flow Rate (microliters/min) Sample Capillary I.D. (microns) Nose Length Nose Diameter Overall Length Standard Gas Line Ability to Plug Compatable Chambers Applications & Comments
SS 50 Stainless Steel Requires ~ 2 L/min at 50 psi 10 - 5,000 1800 2" - 18" 0.125" Varies (customizable) 1/8" Will not plug Special Made for use in high temperatures, low to high flow. Commonly used for material coatings and nano particle production. Designed for industrial applications, not for ICP analysis.
LB 30 Generally PTFE, but can be made from Peek or most other materials Requires ~ 15 L/min at 40-50 psi 2,000 - 30,000 1000 12 mm 1/4" pipe thread Varies (customizable) 1/8" Will not plug Industrial High sample flow rates, excellent mist. Runs 2 to 50 ml/min, with optimum from 5 to 35 ml/min. Designed for industrial applications, not for ICP analysis.
LB 80 Generally PTFE, but can be made from Peek or most other materials Requires ~ 40 L/min at 40-50 psi 500 - 80,000 3000 100 mm 4" 12 mm 0.5" Varies (customizable) 3 mm Will not plug Industrial High sample flow rates, excellent mist. Runs .5 to 80 ml/min, with optimum from 5 to 70 ml/min. Designed for industrial applications, not for ICP analysis.
LB 100 Generally PTFE, but can be made from Peek or most other materials Requires ~ 50 L/min at 45-55 psi 1,000 - 100,000 3000 100 mm 4" 12 mm 0.5" Varies (customizable) 3 mm Will not plug Industrial High sample flow rates, excellent mist. Runs 1 to 100 ml/min, with optimum from 5 to 80 ml/min. Designed for industrial applications, not for ICP analysis.

Discussion of Selection Criteria

Burgener Nebulizers have pressure ratings to indicate what pressure is required for 1 liter per minute Argon flow. Most Torches require .7 to .8 L/min, and flow rates above or below the torch optimum change the location of the plasma, and therefore also change the resultant intensities and stability of the plasma. The type of torch determines the optimum flow rates, not the nebulizer. The optimum pressure for the nebulizer is usually as high a pressure as your instrument will provide. But the Optimum flow rate is determined by the type of torch and rarely matches the optimum of the nebulizer itself. While optimizing nebulizer flow rates or pressures, you are optimizing the flow rates to the torch and the whole system.

  • The above charts list the normal Operating Pressures assuming a 0.8 liter/minute Argon flow rate.

    Some torches require 1.5 L/min, some use 1 L/min and some as little as 0.6 L/min. So the operating pressure of a nebulizer depends on the torch and can not be indicated on the nebulizer package since we do not know what torch will be used with it. We mark the package to indicate a specific flow rate, and we have chosen 1 Liter / minute as a standard. A nebulizer that requires 45 psi (15 psi = 1 bar) for a flow of 1 L/min will usually be operated at .8 L/min, which requires about 35 - 37 psi. In general, for all makes and designs of nebulizers, they work better at higher pressures. Our 30 psi rated nebulizers are designed for high flow (older design) torches that require 1.5 L/min. With a 30 psi per 1 L/min nebulizer, you can operate at 45 psi for 1.5 L/min which fits instruments with a maximum of 45 psi. Most instruments use newer torch designs and require .8 L/min or less, so we rarely sell 30 psi rated nebulizers.

    Nebulizers work better at higher pressures. To get the best possible sensitivities and lowest %RSD, 100 psi or more is desirable. Our Legere, Mira Mist CE and Ari Mist HP nebulizers use 70 - 125 psi for 1 L/min, which means that most torches at .8L/min will require 50 - 80 psi for the nebulizer to optimize. This requires an instrument able to deliver higher pressures, and usually means that you will need an Argon supply independent of the instrument controls. A double stage regulator on a standard Argon tank will provide stable gas flows and should last a week or more of continuos operation.

    Our Ari Mist HP nebulizer is designed for 5 to 20 microliter/minute sample flows. To maximize the number of instruments easily used with it, while maintaining a high enough flow rate to sustain a mist, we designed the Ari Mist to require about 75 psi for 1 L/min gas flow. Optimizing on the PE/Sciex Elan ICP/MS, we found that a torch routinely running with 0.8 L/min actually required 1.2 L/min (85 psi) to optimize with a 5 microliter/min sample flow. The PE mass flow controller was set for 1.5 L/min, but could not provide the pressure required to accomplish that, nor did it indicate that the actual flow rate was much lower than we had set - it had no pressure indicator, just a total flow setting. We had to use a separate gas line to get the actual 85 psi. This is a problem with most mass flow controllers: they do not have any way to indicate that there is not enough gas pressure to deliver the desired flow, so you may get low or no counts due to too little gas pressure without any indication in the instrument setup that the gas pressure is the problem.

    The nebulizer requires Pressure to operate, but instruments with mass flow controllers list Flow not pressure, and the torch requires a set Flow not Pressure. To know if your system is properly optimized, you need to know the pressure and the flow, and unfortunately most manufacturers do not have both parameters available.

    With the above preamble, you can now follow the nebulizer selection criteria:

    1. Always use the highest pressure rating possible for your machine. If your machine can provide 125 psi, use a 125 psi nebulizer for the best sensitivities and lowest %RSD.

    2. Accept your machines’ limitations in pressure - the lower rated pressure nebulizers are acceptable for most routine analysis. Only go to higher pressures if you absolutely require the precision - the nuisance of a separate high pressure tank of Argon is not worth it if the slightly lower precision is acceptable.

    3. For General usage, the Mira Mist is the best nebulizer, with the T2100 a close second.

    For most ICP, the Mira Mist (Peek or Teflon versions) are the most reliable, most sensitive, most stable and easiest to use. They rarely plug or salt and their long term stability is unmatched by any other.

    The Mira Mist has a large sample passage ID: 500 microns or .017 inch - 4 times the cross sectional area of standard glass concentrics. Most particles will easily pass through the nebulizer without plugging. The Mira Mist CAN plug, but it is solid so it can be cleaned with a cleaning wire - however, a cleaning wire can also easily destroy the nebulizer if it touches the gas orifice area. So to prevent plugging, use a capillary tube smaller in ID than the Mira Mist sample ID.

    4. If you are running samples with slurries or high levels of undissolved particles, then the T2100 is the best choice.

    In previous years, the T2002 and the TJA Trace were the recommended nebulizers. The T2002 and Trace nebulizers fit all standard chambers that can use a Meinhard, and they run all solutions without plugging or salting problems. These CAN NOT plug. The sample passage is much bigger than the capillary tube ID used to deliver the sample. The capillary tube can plug, but it is press fitted into the nebulizer and can be easily changed. The T2100 is similar, basically can not plug, has better sensitivity and stability, and it is easier to change the capillary tubing to the nebulizer. While we will continue making the T2002 and Trace nebulizers for many years, the T2100 is usually a better nebulizer.

    5. For ICP-MS instruments, for Low Sample Flow use the Ari Mist and Ari Mist HP nebulizers. They differ from the Mira Mist in having smaller ID sample capillary - minimizing the sample flow rate through the nebulizer. The Ari Mist is designed to run as low as 50 ul/min and the Ari Mist HP is designed to run as low as 5 ul/min. The Ari Mist has a smaller sample passage ID: 150 microns for the Ari Mist HP and 225 microns for the Ari Mist. They CAN PLUG. Use with particle-free samples.

    6. For interfacing ICP-MS with CE or LC, the Mira Mist CE is the choice. You can use the Mira Mist CE simply for the best high precision and low flow rates, if you have access to high pressure Argon. It will fit a cyclonic chamber, and any other standard chamber. The Mira mist CE has an ID of 500 microns or .020 inch, a bit larger than the regular Mira Mist, but it is set for high pressure Argon sources, and it is manufactured to be able to run at VERY low sample flow rates. It will handle high salts and solids, and gives excellent precision and sensitivity. It is mainly designed for an interface between CE or LC systems with an ICP-MS. While it is our best nebulizer for most applications, it is too expensive to be justified for the small improvement over the Mira Mist unless you are interfacing ICP-MS with other instruments.