A Simple and Inexpensive Interface between a Liquid Chromatograph and A Flameless Atomic Absorption Spectrometer Detector

Abstract

An interface device consisting of sampling valve, dispenser, timing circuit, and coanalyte addition is described. The liquid chromatograph eluent is dispensed (37μl) to the graphite furnace of an Hitachi 170–70 Zeeman effect atomic absorption spectrometer which serves as an element specific detector. The addition of coanalyte reduces the volatility for nonmetals and increases the sensitivity for these elements at low concentration. The interface is controlled by a timing circuit comprised of 555 timer intergrated circuits and allows automated single element analysis of the eluent with analysis repetition rate of approximately one per minute. The results using this interface for the monitoring of the separation of several selenium containing compounds (using Ni²⁺ as coanalyte) is discussed.