Mass Spectral Characterization of Samples from a Potassium Bromide Matrix

Techniques were developed for mass spectral characterization of materials adsorbed on a potassium bromide (KBr) matrix. Samples intimately mixed with KBr are placed into a solids inlet probe and heated to volatilize the material into the mass spectrometer. The spectra obtained by this technique are essentially identical to spectra from neat samples. The method was found to be readily applicable to the analysis of a variety of propellant ingredients. Examples presented include diphenylamine, dinitrotoluene, 2-nitrodiphenylamine and ethyl centralite. Good mass spectra have been obtained from twenty microgram samples. This advance makes possible both infrared and mass spectral characterization of a single micro-sample. (Author)