A neutron-activated Al 2 O 3 powder SRM 699 (NIST) containing the γ-radiation emitting radionuclides 51 Cr, 59 Fe, 60 Co and 65 Zn has been used to study the influence of thermochemical reagents on the volatilization and transport efficiency for these trace elements in electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ETV-ICP-MS) of Al 2 O 3 powders. From the signals in the γ-spectra for the radiotracers it has been found that less than 2% of the elements Cr, Fe, Co and Zn is left back in a graphite furnace from Al 2 O 3 powders at 2200 °C even without addition of a thermochemical reagent and the latter even was found to decrease the volatilization efficiencies. The recovery for the radiotracers on filters at the end of the transport tube as measured from the signals in the γ-spectra, however, was found to increase in most cases (i.e. from about 10% to more than 20%) when Pd(NO 3 ) 2 , Pd(NO 3 ) 2 +Mg(NO 3 ) 2 , PdCl 2 , IrCl 3 , SnCl 2 , AgCl, NaF, NH 4 Cl and NH 4 F were added at amounts generally used in electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. However, when adding higher amounts as stoichiometrically required for a complete halogenation of the sample matrix in the case of AgCl, C 8 F 15 O 2 Na, IrCl 3 or PdCl 2 the transport efficiencies considerably decrease again. As shown in the case of NH 4 Cl the amount of thermochemical reagent used has to be optimized so as to obtain maximum analyte transport efficiencies. A comparison of the influence of NH 4 Cl on the transport efficiencies with its influence on the ETV-ICP-MS signals for Fe demonstrates the importance of transport efficiency changes for the effects of thermochemical reagents in electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.