Abstract: A system and a process for measuring, by glow discharge spectrometry, the elemental and/or molecular chemical composition of an organic solid sample (10). The sample (10) is positioned so as to seal a glow discharge plasma reactor (2), a gaseous mixture including at least one inert gas and gaseous oxygen is injected into the reactor (2), the concentration of gaseous oxygen being between 0.1% and 15% by weight of the gaseous mixture, an electric discharge of radiofrequency type is applied to the electrodes of the plasma reactor (2) in order to generate a glow discharge plasma, and the solid sample (10) is exposed to the plasma so as to etch an erosion crater in the solid sample (10); at least one signal representative of an ionized species of negative charge is selected and measured using a mass spectrometer (4).

Abstract: A system and a process for measuring, by glow discharge spectrometry, the elemental and/or molecular chemical composition of an organic solid sample (10). The sample (10) is positioned so as to seal a glow discharge plasma reactor (2), a gaseous mixture including at least one inert gas and gaseous oxygen is injected into the reactor (2), the concentration of gaseous oxygen being between 0.1% and 15% by weight of the gaseous mixture, an electric discharge of radiofrequency type is applied to the electrodes of the plasma reactor (2) in order to generate a glow discharge plasma, and the solid sample (10) is exposed to the plasma so as to etch an erosion crater in the solid sample (10); at least one signal representative of an ionized species of negative charge is selected and measured using a mass spectrometer (4).

Abstract: A glow discharge mass spectrometry device and method, the device including a glow discharge lamp (1), gas flow-injection elements, the glow discharge lamp being suitable for forming an ablation plasma in the presence of a plasma gas, and a mass spectrometer. The device further includes heating elements (30, 31) suitable for heating a gas flow (38) upstream of a cell (2), the gas flow-injection elements being suitable for injecting into the glow discharge cell a gas flow (38) heated to a temperature T for a duration D, and pumping elements (7, 27) being designed to pump a flow of gaseous species (17, 37) out of the cell for the duration D, so as to decontaminate the surface of the sample (4) and/or the inner walls of the glow discharge cell (2) before an ablation plasma (5) is ignited.

Abstract: A glow discharge mass spectrometry device and method, the device including a glow discharge lamp (1), gas flow-injection elements, the glow discharge lamp being suitable for forming an ablation plasma in the presence of a plasma gas, and a mass spectrometer. The device further includes heating elements (30, 31) suitable for heating a gas flow (38) upstream of a cell (2), the gas flow-injection elements being suitable for injecting into the glow discharge cell a gas flow (38) heated to a temperature T for a duration D, and pumping elements (7, 27) being designed to pump a flow of gaseous species (17, 37) out of the cell for the duration D, so as to decontaminate the surface of the sample (4) and/or the inner walls of the glow discharge cell (2) before an ablation plasma (5) is ignited.