Simultaneous determination of iron and nickel in fluoropolymers by solid sampling high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

•A simultaneous approach for Fe and Ni determination in fluoropolymers was proposed.•Solid samples were directly analysed by using SS-HR-CS GF AAS.•Extremely low limits of detection (ng g−1 range) were achieved.

This paper reports the development of a method of simultaneous determination of iron and nickel in fluoropolymers by high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS GF AAS) with direct solid sampling. In order to carry out simultaneous measurements, both the main resonance line of nickel (232.003 nm) and the adjacent secondary line of iron (232.036 nm) were monitored in the same spectral window. The proposed method was optimized with a perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) sample and was applied to the determination of iron and nickel in fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) and modified polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE-TFM) samples. Pyrolysis and atomization temperatures, as well as the use of Pd and H2 (during pyrolysis) as chemical modifiers, were carefully investigated. Compromise temperatures for pyrolysis and atomization of both analytes were achieved at 800 and 2300 °C, respectively, using only 0.5 L min−1 H2 as chemical modifier during pyrolysis. Calibration curves were performed with aqueous standards by using a single solution which contained both analytes. Limits of detection were 221 and 9.6 ng g−1 for iron and nickel, respectively. Analyte concentrations in all samples ranged from 3.53 to 12.4 µg g−1 for iron and from 37 to 78 ng g−1 for nickel, with relative standard deviation less than 19%. Accuracy was evaluated by comparing these results with those obtained by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after sample digestion by microwave-induced combustion and no significant statistical difference was observed.

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