SEMIQUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS WITH LASER-ABLATION INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA-MASS SPECTROMETRY

Techniques for semiquantitative analysis of solid materials by laser ablation sample introduction for inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) are investigated. Under some ablation conditions, nonrepresentative subsampling or fractionation is a major source of analytical error, particularly for samples that have relatively low melting or boiling point components, Use of high laser fluence and reduced spatial overlap of laser pulses on the sample surface was found to reduce fractional ablation. improved analytical results were obtained by calibration with aqueous solution standards using two-channel sample introduction to give equivalent ICP conditions for ablated material and a solution standard, This method has a further advantage of not requiring solid reference standards, Semiquantitative analysis results for steel and glass SRMs obtained under matched plasma conditions are discussed.