Electrothermal vaporization, part 2: surface chemistry

This review is the second of a two-part series on evaluation of vaporization and atomization processes in electrothermal vaporizers (ETV), focused specifically on surface chemistry in ETVs. Laser desorption mass spectrometry and differential scanning calorimetry are used to investigate vaporization of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Ni. Graphite, Al, and Ta were used as the vaporizer substrate material to elucidate potential pathways with regard to surface chemistry. The results presented in parts 1 and 2 of this publication series clearly illustrate the role of surface chemistry when a substrate is heated to yield atomic or molecular vapors. Depending on the attributes of the substrate material and the extent of surface modification, the surface-induced processes that ultimately define the quantity and the nature of gas phase species includes liquid–solid interactions, solid–solid interactions, catalysis, diffusion, migration, heterogeneous reactions and intercalation.