MODIFICATION OF A COMMERCIAL ELECTROTHERMAL VAPORIZER FOR SAMPLE INTRODUCTION INTO AN INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA-MASS SPECTROMETER .1. CHARACTERIZATION

Modifications to a commercial graphite furnace were made for its use as a sample introduction device with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICPMS) and to allow simultaneous measurement of the atomic absorption and mass spectrometric signals. The effect of the internal Ar carrier gas flow, the total Ar carrier gas flow, and the vaporization temperature on the integrated ion intensity for Ag was studied. An absolute limit of detection of 0.23 pg was obtained for Ag when vaporization took place from a graphite platform in the presence of sodium chloride chemical modifier. The utility of simultaneously measuring electrothermal atomization atomic absorption (ETAA) and ETV-ICP mass spectrometric signals was demonstrated by investigating the interference of MgCl2 on the determination of Mn by ETAAS. This study provided direct evidence for preatomization loss of Mn when vaporized in the presence of MgCl2.