US Patent 8253096 Time-of-flight mass spectrometer

There is provided a time-of-flight mass spectrometer of a simple configuration and low cost that prevents temperature drift and provides stable mass spectrum without the use of expensive Invar material for the flight tube which nevertheless is not easily affected by external vibrations and does not deflect under its own weight when held as a cantilever. The flight-tube is made of a CFRP pipe 17a whose inner and outer surfaces are provided with an electroless nickel-plated layer 17b as an electroconductive treatment. Electroconductive adhesive 21 is used for joining to flight-tube holding member 18. Unlike previous flight-tubes made of metal, flight-tubes made of CFRP pipe 17a do not deform even when no temperature adjustment and control system is used. Also, since the specific gravity of CFRP is only about one-fifth of that of stainless steel, the flight-tube does not easily deflect even when it is held as a cantilever. Furthermore, since CFRP has good vibration damping property, it is not easily affected by vibrations.