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.