Tungsten atomizer--theory of atomization mechanism of some volatile analytes

Several types of chemical reactions may participate in the evolution of free atoms in a tungsten furnace. Reactions may take place either in the homogeneous or heterogeneous phase. The assumed reactions may be classified into four types according to the phases in which they take place. Reactions occurring in the gaseous phase, i.e. in the inner volume of the furnace, are kinetically more significant. However, for atomization of easily volatile analytes heterogeneous reaction between gaseous compounds and between condensed salts of analytes and the solid surface of the furnace become significant. With regards to the reaction mechanisms during drying, pyrolysis and atomization of nitrates of volatile analytes, three basic types of chemical reactions may be assumed. Free atoms of analytes arise by evaporation of the elementary form of analytes at atomization temperature, where the particular analyte in its elementary form is produced by direct reduction of analyte nitrate by tungsten or by hydrogen at higher temperatures. Precursory reactions of atom formation are reduction reactions which occur between analyte nitrates and tungsten, between analyte nitrates and hydrogen, as well as reactions of thermal dissociation of relevant nitrates. The importance of particular types of precursory reactions for formation of metallic analytes or their oxides is documented by dependence of Gibbs energy values of particular reactions on the temperature.