The absorbance signal in electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry is a result of the processes of atom formation and dissipation and first of all depends on the initial generation of atoms from the surface. The rising part of the absorbance time profiles can be used for characterization of the release of the metals like Pd, Ag, Au etc. The method is applied to investigate the palladium release from a pyrocoated graphite support at different initial masses of the Pd. The kinetic parameters are evaluated and conclusions about the distribution of palladium on the graphite surface are made. The estimated values of apparent activation energies depend on the initial mass of analyte. The advantages and limitations of the present approach are discussed.