The Effect of Graphite Absorption Using Vacuum Cup Electrodes by Spark Techniques

Abstract

It has been found after not recording the first exposure with vacuum cup electrodes, that the next eight to ten exposures on each electrode are much improved in the precision of intensity ratios The results show the possibility of using a single vacuum cup electrode to determine not only replicas of a single sample, but that more than one sample may be determined on a single electrode These electrodes have been tested only with similar elements present and with 2 1/2 times increase in sample concentration, and no effects were apparent by changing the samples, providing certain analytical precautions were followed A study of the adsorption of graphite electrodes was carried out in solution similar to the samples. The results indicated that adsorption was dependent upon concentration, but that once an electrode had adsorbed elements, even long periods in water would not cause the loss of the adsorbed elements. Neither would less concentrated samples cause a reduction in the amount of elements adsorbed