The relationship between relative sensitivity factors and ionization potential in dc glow discharge mass spectrometry using Ar 0.2 vol% H2 mixture

The relationship between the relative sensitivity factors obtained for steels, nickel-based heat resisting alloy, copper, aluminium, molybdenum and indium reference samples and the ionization potential of elements was studied. When both the Ar/0.2 vol.% H-2 mixture as the working gas and cryogenic cooling were used, the plot of the obtained relative sensitivity factors (RSFs) on logarithmic scale against the first ionization potential of elements were found to be linear. The RSF values calculated from the ionization potential of elements corrected within a factor of ca. 1.35 to the measured RSF values. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.