Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: A new technique for the determination of trace and ultra-trace elements in silicates

This paper describes recent work applying a laser ablation system coupled to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS) for the direct analysis of solid geological materials. This work demonstrates the potential of LA-ICP-MS for the determination of a wide range of petrogenetically important trace and ultra-trace elements (including for example REE, Hf, Ta, Nb, Th, U) following a routine method of sample preparation. Powdered geological materials have been prepared as both pressed powder disks and fused glasses; both common methods of sample preparation for X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. The solid materials were sampled by ablation using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 nm. Analyses can be produced at approximately 10 samples per hour. This instrumental method has limits of detection at or close to those in chondritic meteorites and gives linear calibrations over four orders of magnitude. The accuracy of the technique has been evaluated using reference materials to calibrate the instrument and treating Geological Survey of Japan basalts JB-1a, JB-2, and JB-3 as ‘unknowns.’ Detection limits are better than routine XRF analysis and compare favourably with Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis. Laser ablation overcomes the problems of sample dissolution employed in standard wet chemical techniques, whilst the fused glasses provide homogeneous solid samples. The fused glass technique has been applied to a wide range of reference materials from ultra-basic rocks through basalts and andesites to granites, as well as syenite, mica schist, and black shale. For all of the elements commonly used to generate multi-element discrimination diagrams the data obtained define straight line calibrations. This method is therefore capable of analysing the complete range of silicate compositions normally encountered with a single calibration (i.e., there is no apparent matrix effect).