[Determination of beryllium in geological samples with slurry sampling and probe atomization in graphite furnace...

A method of loading a slurry prepared from a solid sample for analysis of beryllium in geological samples using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was approached by combining slurry sampling with probe atomization. The factors that influence the performances of beryllium including ashing and atomization temperature, atomization surfaces (probe and tube), the materials of the tube and probe, and the use of matrix modifiers were investigated. The results show that the determination of beryllium in geological samples could be performed by direct slurry sampling with the use of calcium as the matrix modifier for a calibration established with aqueous standards. The relative standard deviations (RSD) of the method were 3.1-5.2%. The analytical results of the geological reference samples were consistent with the certified values. The activation energy during beryllium atomization was calculated using the Arrhenius graph method which was in good with the bonding energy of Be-O.