Flame photometry is used in various industries like chemicals , soils, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, glass and ceramics, in plant materials and water, oceanography, and in biological and microbiological laboratories.
- It is used in determination of potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium in biological fluids like serum, plasma, urine etc, is routinely carried out by flame photometer.
- Analysis of industrial water, natural water for determining elements responsible for hard water (magnesium, barium, calcium etc.) is standard procedure in many laboratories.
- Soil samples are routinely analysed mainly for sodium and potassium and also for calcium and magnesium (after removing other interfering elements) by flame photometer.
- Some important elements which are commonly determined by this method are aluminium, barium, calcium, chromium, copper, iron, lead , magnesium, potassium, zinc, manganese, and strontium.
- In glass industry, flame photometry is used in determining of sodium, potassium, boron, lithium etc.
- In cement industry, this method is used in estimation of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, as well as lithium.
- Flame photometry is extensively used in estimation of alkali-alkaline earth metals as well as other metals present in metallurgical products, catalysts, alloys etc.
- Flame photometry has also been used in determination of certain metals like lead, manganese, in petroleum products like gasoline, lubricating oils and organic solvents.
- Analysis of ash by flame photometer is routinely carried out in various industries for estimating alkali and alkaline earth metals as their oxides.
These are some of the applications and uses of flame photometry.