Geology multi-element analysis

Geological and geochemical applications of PXRF generally require multi-element analysis however, the more elements that are included within an analytical test, the greater the likelihood of problems such as peak overlaps or interferences, and manufacturers typically will provide machine calibrations for 20-30 elements in a particular analytical mode (see below). Our instruments have been calibrated for a range of elements for characterization of lithological units, different mineralization types and associated hydrothermal alteration, and other geochemical exploration vectors. 

In spite of the excellent capability and advantages (high selectivity and sensitivity) of RIMS for the ultratrace analysis of isotopes with naturally rare abundance in environmental, geological, medical and nuclear samples, no commercial instrumentation is available to date. In contrast to AMS and RIMS as mono-elemental (element-specific) analytical techniques, ICP-MS and LA-ICP-MS possess, in analogy to GDMS and SIMS, have the ability for multi-element analysis and thus could have the widest fields of application. 

The laser beam efficiently vaporizes conductors, insulators, and semiconducting materials with a minimum of matrix effects. Laser sampling ICP-MS has also been applied successfully as a semi-quantitative survey tool for a rapid multi-element analysis of geological samples. The samples are pulverized to assure homogeneity. Some paraffin wax is mixed with the sample. The mixture is then placed in an aluminium cup and pressed into a wafer. 

For measurements of isotope ratios or isotope abundances, any of the mass spectrometers discussed in the previous chapters, such as SSMS, LIMS, GDMS56 and LA-ICP-MS,6 are of benefit for the direct isotope analysis of solid samples. SSMS and LIMS are rarely applied in isotope analysis due to their relatively low precision. Several applications of the isotope dilution technique as a calibration strategy in SSMS, mostly on geological samples, are known.57-59 GDMS has been mostly applied in multi-element trace analysis and depth profiling and plays only a minor role... 

K. P. Jochum, Trace element analysis of geological samples by modern spark source mass spectrometry using multi-ion counting, Spectrosc. Eur. 9, 22-27 (1997). 

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