Sample Retention in the Transport Tubing between an Electrothermal Vaporizer and an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer

Abstract

The transport tube between a commercial electrothermal vaporizer (ETV) and the torch for an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer ICPMS) was analyzed for sample that had been vaporized. A common analyte carrier, NaCl, and Ag were the primary samples analyzed. It was found that approximately 10% of the sample was retained in the transport tubing. This percentage could be varied by changing the total mass of sample vaporized, probably because of the smaller particles being formed. A temperature distribution of the argon gas in the transport tube was also obtained for maximum power heating of the ETV, for a one-second vaporization step, and for various flow rates.