Carbon-oxygen reactions in graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Heterogeneous reactions between oxygen and carbon have been investigated in the high-temperature graphite furnace by interfacing a Massmann-type atomizer to a gas chromatograph. Methanation of CO//2 and CO permitted their quantitation with a flame ionization detector. The primary product of combustion is CO whose concentration increases exponentially with temperature up to approximately 2 multiplied by 10** minus **3 atm at 2700 K. Minor amounts of CO//2, CH//4, C//2H//4, C//2H//2, and C//2H//6 ( less than 10** minus **5 atm) were also identified.