PALLADIUM RELEASE IN ELECTROTHERMAL ATOMIC-ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY

The absorbance signal in electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry is a result of the processes of atom formation and dissipation and fi rst of all depends on the initial generation of atoms from the surface . The rising part of the absorbance time profiles can be used for char acterization of the release of the metals like Pd, Ag, Au etc. The met hod is applied to investigate the palladium release from a pyrocoated graphite support at different initial masses of the Pd. The kinetic pa rameters are evaluated and conclusions about the distribution of palla dium on the graphite surface are made. The estimated values of apparen t activation energies depend on the initial mass of analyte. The advan tages and limitations of the present approach are discussed.