Abstract
In direct atomization of aluminum in a graphite-cup furnace, copper was inaccurately determined at high temperature(above 2000°C), because the sample occasionally spattered out of the furnace. When graphite powder with a grain size of below 44μm diameter was put into the furnace, spattering was prevented, copper being accurately determined. Sensitivity and precision were improved with increasing amount of the powder. Calibration curve for copper was constructed with peak area of absorption signal by using aluminum containing a known content of copper. The relative standard deviation ranged from 2.6 to 16%. The limit of detection was 0.18ng for copper. This value corresponds to 0.000018% of copper in 1mg of aluminum.
