Investigations of reactions involved in electro-thermal atomic absorption procedures : Part 8. A theoretical and experimental study of factors influencing the determination of phosphorus

Ideal conditions for the determination of phosphorus by graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry are investigated by the use of high-temperature equilibrium calculations. All reasonable reaction products resulting from the reaction between P, C, O, H, N, Ca and Ar are considered. The calculations show that phosphorus forms the volatile monoxide and dioxide molecules below 1800 K (P_o2? 10^-13 atm.). At higher temperatures the relative amount of atomic phosphorus is mainly controlled by the equilibrium between monatomic and diatomic phosphorus. The significance of the theoretical ' study was investigated experimentally. The relative amounts of P₂ and PO were monitored by molecular absorption using vaporization under isothermal conditions; the interfering effects of Ca, N₂, H₂, and O₂ on the atomic absorption signal for phosphorus were also studied. The sensitivity was greatly dependent on graphite tube conditions as well as the heating rate of the furnace. For CaHPO₄ the sensitivity for phosphorus was 4.5 × lO^-8 g. If samples were introduced into a preheated tube, this value was improved to 2 × 10^-9 g.