Aperture-based thermospray vaporizer

Thermospray is a means of aerosol generation that has gained great popularity as an interface between high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS). Aerosols generated by thermospray have also been found to be advantageous for liquid sample introduction to inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). In this report, the authors will describe a modification of their original chemically robust thermospray vaporizers that provides for rapid repair/cleaning of clogged vaporizers. The system is based on the use of laser-drilled stainless steel apertures and provides additional flexibility for the selection of vaporizer exit internal diameter.