TY - CONF A1 - Traub, Heike A1 - Phukphatthanachai, Pranee A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Jakubowski, Norbert A1 - Panne, Ulrich T1 - Quantification of sulphur in copper metals by isotope dilution LA-ICP-MS using polyethylene frits N2 - Sulphur is one of the relevant impurities in copper and its alloys affecting their material properties. To ensure the quality of copper products, fast direct solid sampling techniques are very attractive. However, for the calibration suitable matrix reference materials are required. For the certification of such reference materials appropriate, SI-traceable analytical methods are essential. Therefore, a procedure was developed to quantify total sulphur in copper by combining the classical isotope dilution (ID) technique and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Here, for the first time, polyethylene (PE) frits were used to prepare appropriate solid samples for the sulphur quantification in copper metals (alloyed/unalloyed) by isotope dilution LA-ICP-MS. The properties of the PE frit meet the requirements as porous material with high absorption efficiency, thermal and chemical resistance as well as low sulphur blank. Different copper reference materials were used to develop and validate the procedure. The copper samples were spiked with 34S, digested with nitric acid and then the digests were absorbed on PE frits. After drying, the frits were analysed by LA-ICP-IDMS using a Nd:YAG laser at 213 nm coupled to an ICP sector field mass spectrometer. It could be demonstrated, that the sample solution dispersed on the frits did not influence the 32S/34S ratio significantly even though the sulphur intensities were fluctuating along the scanned lines. Relative standard deviations of the isotope ratios were below 5 % in average between three line scans (except for the pure spike solution and procedure blank). The measurement results were validated by comparing them with the results obtained by conventional ICP-IDMS after analyte-matrix separation. Plotting the mass fraction of sulphur in copper obtained by LA-ICP-IDMS versus those obtained by ICP-IDMS yields a linear curve with a correlation coefficient of 0.9999 showing a strong agreement between both techniques. The metrological traceability to the SI from the kg down to the sulphur mass fraction in copper is established by an unbroken chain of comparisons, each accompanied by an uncertainty budget. Thus, the measurement results are considered reliable, acceptable and comparable within the stated measurement uncertainty. T2 - 14th European Workshop on Laser Ablation (EWLA) CY - Pau, France DA - 26.06.2018 KW - ICP-MS KW - Laser ablation KW - Isotope dilution KW - Copper PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-45569 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Phukphatthanachai, Pranee A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Traub, Heike A1 - Jakubowski, Norbert A1 - Panne, Ulrich T1 - A new approach of using polyethylene frits for the quantification of sulphur in copper metals by isotope dilution LA-ICP-MS and comparison with conventional IDMS techniques JF - Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry N2 - Polyethylene (PE) frits were used to quantify sulphur in copper and its alloys by isotope dilution combined with LA-ICP-MS as an alternative approach to conventional sample preparation: the copper samples were spiked, the spiked samples were dissolved, the resulting solutions were absorbed in the PE frits and finally the PE frits were analysed by LA-ICP-MS. A prerequisite for such a support material is a low sulphur blank and thus PE was selected for this purpose. The absorption efficiency of the PE frits was studied for varying sulphur amounts ranging from 2 mg S to 80 mg S showing that more than 99.5% of the loaded sulphur was absorbed by the frit. The so prepared PE frits were measured by LA-ICP-MS and yielded a good linearity (R2 ¼ 0.999) for the sulphur ion intensities corresponding to sulphur amounts up to 40 mg S; the associated sensitivity is approximately 3.4 x 10⁴ cps μg⁻¹ for ³²S. For the validation of the developed procedure the reference materials BAM-M376a, BAM-228 and BAM-227 were applied such that 2 μg S, 5 μg S and 11 μg S were absorbed in the PE frits, respectively. These samples were pre-quantified for the adsorbed sulphur amount by external calibration LA-ICP-MS yielding sulphur amounts of 0.9 μg, 5.1 μg and 8.5 μg (quantified for ³²S only), respectively. Relative Standard deviations of the isotope ratios were below 5% in average (n ¼ 3 lines) in all cases (except for the pure spike solution). These samples were then analysed by LA-ICP-IDMS and the measurement results were validated by comparing them with the results obtained by conventional ICP-IDMS. The obtained relative expanded measurement uncertainties ranged between 10% and 26%. Pearson's coefficient was used to express the correlation between both techniques; the obtained value was 0.999 demonstrating a strong correlation. Contrary to most published LA-ICP-IDMS procedures, the developed procedure enables SI-traceability for the measurement results. The metrological traceability to the SI for the sulphur mass fractions in copper was established by an unbroken chain of comparisons, each accompanied by an uncertainty budget. Thus, the measurement results are considered reliable, acceptable and comparable within the stated measurement uncertainty. The metrological traceability chain from the kg down to mass fraction in the samples obtained by LA-ICP-IDMS is presented as well. KW - Laser ablation KW - IDMS KW - Traceability KW - Uncertainty KW - Purity PY - 2018 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/c8ja00116b SN - 0267-9477 SN - 1364-5544 VL - 33 IS - 9 SP - 1506 EP - 1517 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-45899 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Phukphatthanachai, Pranee A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Traub, Heike A1 - Jakubowski, Norbert A1 - Panne, Ulrich T1 - A new approach of using polyethylene frits for the quantification of sulphur in copper metals by isotope dilution LA-ICP-MS N2 - For the first time polyethylene (PE) frits were used to quantify sulphur in copper metal and its alloys by isotope dilution combined with LA-ICP-MS: an alternative approach for sample preparation. The properties of the PE frit meet the requirements for isotope dilution LA-ICPMS which are porous material, thermal and chemical resistance and high absorption efficiency. The breakthrough, however, as a support material, is the low sulphur blank, which is only two times of the gas flow blank (2.3-4.0 x 10⁴ cps). Additionally, the porosity of the frit was considered, as it directly affects the absorption efficiency for the sample solution, which is present in the cavities of the frit. The absorption efficiency was studied by loading sulphur standards with varying sulphur amounts (0 - 80 µg S) onto the frits. The remaining sulphur which was not absorbed by the frit was rinsed off and was measured by ICP-MS. This indirect method shows that more than 99.5 % of the loaded sulphur was absorbed by the frit. The so prepared frits with increasing sulphur amount were measured by LA-ICP-MS showing a good linearity between 0 µg S and 40 µg S with a coefficient of determination, r2 of 0.9987 and a sensitivity of 3.4x10⁴ cps µgˉ¹ for 32S. Three copper reference materials produced by BAM (BAM-M376a, BAM-228 and BAM-227) were selected to develop and validate the LA-ICP-IDMS procedure. The IDMS technique was applied to these samples as follows: the samples were spiked, dissolved, digested and then the digested solution was absorbed on the frits. The dried frit samples were then analyzed by LA-ICP-IDMS and it could be demonstrated that the sample solution dispersed on the frits did not influence the 32S/34S ratio significantly even though the sulphur intensities were fluctuating along the scan lines. Relative standard deviations of the isotope ratios were below 5 % in average between 3 lines (except for the pure spike solution and procedure blank). The measurement results were validated by comparing them with the results obtained by conventional ICP-IDMS. Plotting the mass fraction of sulphur in copper obtained by LA-ICP-IDMS versus those obtained by ICP-IDMS yields a linear curve with a correlation coefficient of 0.9999 showing a strong agreement between both techniques. The metrological traceability to the SI for the mass fraction of sulphur in copper is established by an unbroken chain of comparisons, each accompanied by an uncertainty budget. Thus, the measurement results are considered reliable, acceptable and comparable within the stated measurement uncertainty. The metrological traceability chain from the kg down to the final mass fraction in the samples obtained by LA-ICP-IDMS is illustrated in this presentation. T2 - ESAS & CANAS 2018 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 20.03.2018 KW - Laser ablation KW - Isotope dilution mass spectrometry KW - SI traceability KW - Measurement uncertainty PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-44641 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Phukphatthanachai, Pranee A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Traub, Heike A1 - Jakubwoski, Norbert A1 - Panne, Ulrich T1 - An alternative approach of using pe frits for the quantification of sulfur in copper metals and its alloys by isotope dilution LA-ICP-MS N2 - This is the first time that PE frits were used to quantify sulfur in copper and its alloys by isotope dilution combined with LA-ICP-MS: an alternative approach for sample preparation. The following properties of the PE frit meet the requirements for isotope dilution LA-ICPMS:: porous material, thermo plastic (melting point >100oC), chemical resistance (nitric acid >70%) and high adsorption efficiency. The breakthrough, however, as a support material, especially when comparing the PE frit with other materials such gelatin or sodium silicate is the low blank, which is only two times of the gas flow blank (2.3-4.0 x 104 cps). Additionally, the porosity of the frit was considered, as it directly affects the adsorption efficiency for the sample solution, which is present in the cavities of the frit. Adsorption efficiency was studied by depositing sulfur standards with varying sulfur amounts (0, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 µg S) on the frits. The remaining sulfur which was not absorbed by the frit was rinsed off and was measured by ICP-MS. This indirect method shows that more than 99.5 % of the loaded sulfur was absorbed by the frit. Such high absorption efficiency is completely sufficient for a support material to be used in LA-ICP-IDMS. The so prepared frits whith increasing sulfur amount were measured by LA-ICP-MS showing a good linearity between 0 µg S and 40 µg S whit a correlation coefficient r2 of 0.9987 and sensitivy of 3.4x104 cpsµg-1 for 32S. Three copper reference materials produced by BAM were selected to develop and validate the LA-ICP-IDMS procedure. The IDMS technique was applied to these samples as follows: the samples were spiked, dissolved, digested and then the digest was adsorbed on the frits. T2 - Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry CY - Amelia Island, FL, USA DA - 08.01.2018 KW - Laser ablation KW - Isotope dilution mass spectrometry KW - SI traceability KW - Measurement uncertainty PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-44642 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -