Specially-adapted type of Netzsch STA Instrument as a tool for Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry

•Netzsch STA Instrument adapted for investigations via KEMS method is reported.•As calibration materials Cd, Zn and Sb were selected.•Good agreement of heats of sublimation with available literature data is stated.•Sb is discussed in view of existence of a mixture of oligomer ion species.

STA 409 CD – QMS 403/5 Skimmer Coupling Instrument by Netzsch company is a commercially available system combining thermal analysis (TA) with mass spectrometric detection of volatile substances during a sample heating in a Knudsen cell (KC). A specially-adapted type of this instrument including a complete removal of the skimmer part was manufactured by Netzsch company for our purposes to broaden its capabilities to a more complete thermodynamic investigation of materials via Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry. This paper reports on heat of sublimation of Cd, Zn and Sb which were selected for calibration of this instrument with respect to current studies of materials containing these elements. The measured values are in good agreement with available literature data.

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