We have investigated the potential usefulness of TOF-SIMS for chemical analysis of deposits formed in combustion reactors. By using TOF-SIMS, it was possible to (i) identify inorganic chemical compounds in the deposits, (ii) semi-quantitatively estimate the relative concentrations of the main constituents and (iii) obtain images showing the lateral distribution of the main constituents, on the surface and in cross-sections of deposit samples. It was found that the main components in the deposit samples were KCl and K2SO4, while K2CO3, NaCl, Na2SO4, Ca(OH)(2) and CaCl2 were present in smaller concentrations. In addition, deposits from combustion of recycled wood chips contained considerable amounts of ZnCl2, PbCl2, ZnO and PbO. Large variations in the chemical composition were observed for different samples and throughout the cross-section of a single sample. The chlorides, in particular NaCl, were present mainly as particles, while the sulfates were more homogeneously distributed in the deposit. The results from this study show that TOF-SIMS analysis of combustion deposits can contribute significantly to an increased understanding of the formation and growth of deposits in combustion reactors. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.