Removal of mercury contamination on primary mass standards by hydrogen plasma and thermal desorption

The removal of a high mercury contamination on a Pt reference mass by thermal desorption was studied directly by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). Subsequently the contamination mechanism was investigated. Samples of PtIr and AuPt exposed to vapour of mercury in air were studied using XPS and gravimetric mass determination. We find an extremely rapid mercury contamination which takes place within minutes and reaches an initial equilibrium state after 2 h to 4 h. Roughly 1 to 2 monolayers of mercury adsorbs directly on the metal surface. A natural contamination of carbon and oxygen compounds is at the top. Due to the accumulation of mercury, we find a gain in mass which corresponds to 20 µg to 26 µg for a PtIr standard. XPS data from a historical Pt standard give strong evidence for further average mercury accumulation of (1.3 ± 0.1) µg/year during a period of more than a century. This can be explained by a two-step mechanism presented in this study. The speed of contamination depends on the initial surface conditions. Polishing activates the surface and results in an enhanced accumulation of mercury. Natural contamination by C and O can delay but not prevent contamination. We further demonstrate that the mercury contamination can be removed by both hydrogen plasma and thermal desorption. The removal of mercury by hydrogen plasma can directly be attributed to the synthesis of gaseous mercury dihydrides at low pressures.