What are the principal advantages of microwave sample prep over my current hot plate or hot block method?
There are usually two areas that drive chemists to investigate microwave technology: speed and performance. Closed-vessel microwave methods allow for elemental decomposition above the boiling point of the reagents, resulting in quicker digestion times. Digestions that would take hours with conventional means can be completed in minutes in the microwave. Additionally, samples that do not digest well by traditional means (metals, polymers, geochemical, etc.) can often be digested effectively by microwave techniques.
