Memory effects using an elemental analyser to combust radiocarbon samples: Failure and recovery

Abstract In the combustion and graphitization line for 14 C-AMS samples used at INFN-LABEC for archaeological and geological applications, samples are burnt using an elemental analyser (EA). Advantages and drawbacks of EAs are known, a drawback being the possibility to introduce some contaminations or memory effects. Different parts inside an EA, e.g. the autosampler and the gas-chromatography column, might in principle be responsible of such problems. During a measurement run some time ago, we measured, indeed, radiocarbon concentration values somewhat higher than usual in nominally blank samples. These “bad” data could be explained by memory effects. By assuming a constant contribution from the sample of the prior combustion, this effect might be corrected: indeed, by repeating cycles of sequential combustions of standards and blanks, we observed a good reproducibility of the amount of contamination from the previous sample needed to explain the results. However, we were obviously unhappy with the fact itself of such corrections being needed, and several tests were performed to identify the source of contamination and eliminate it. Eventually, we succeeded in finding the cause of this failure and in recovering the full performance of the system.