We designed a simple evolved gas analysis (EGA) system to act as a sampler between solid samples at atmospheric pressure and the high vacuum inside a mass spectrometer. The newly designed stainless steel system is simple, small and rugged and fulfills all the basic requirements for EGA. The temperature is programmable with 60 degrees C/min as the maximum heating rate and the temperature range is up to 600 degrees C. With this system coupled with lithium ion attachment mass spectrometry (IAMS), it is possible to study the temperature-programmed decomposition of a number of solid materials by detecting any chemical species on a real-time basis. For illustrative purposes, EGA-IAMS experiments of polyethylene polymers have been conducted.
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