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Absolute measurements and certified reference material for iron isotopes using multiple‐collector inductively coupled mass spectrometry
Author(s) -
Zhou Tao,
Zhao Motian,
Wang Jun,
Lu Hai
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
rapid communications in mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.528
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1097-0231
pISSN - 0951-4198
DOI - 10.1002/rcm.3406
Subject(s) - chemistry , inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry , isotope , analytical chemistry (journal) , certified reference materials , mass spectrometry , natural abundance , polyatomic ion , inductively coupled plasma , gravimetric analysis , isotope dilution , detection limit , plasma , ion , chromatography , nuclear physics , physics , organic chemistry
Two enriched isotopes, 99.94 at.% 56 Fe and 99.90 at.% 54 Fe, were blended under gravimetric control to prepare ten synthetic isotope samples whose 56 Fe isotope abundances ranged from 95% to 20%. For multiple‐collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC‐ICP‐MS) measurements typical polyatomic interferences were removed by using Ar and H 2 as collision gas and operating the MC‐ICP‐MS system in soft mode. Thus high‐precision measurements of the Fe isotope abundance ratios were accomplished. Based on the measurement of the synthetic isotope abundance ratios by MC‐ICP‐MS, the correction factor for mass discrimination was calculated and the results were in agreement with results from IRMM014. The precision of all ten correction factors was 0.044%, indicating a good linearity of the MC‐ICP‐MS method for different isotope abundance ratio values. An isotopic reference material was certified under the same conditions as the instrument was calibrated. The uncertainties of ten correction factors K were calculated and the final extended uncertainties of the isotopic certified Fe reference material were 5.8363(37) at.% 54 Fe, 91.7621(51) at.% 56 Fe, 2.1219(23) at.% 57 Fe, and 0.2797(32) at.% 58 Fe. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.