The present paper describes the certification of the amount content of Cd, Cr and Pb in two different polyethylene materials within the third phase of the Polyethylene Elemental Reference Material (PERM) project. The analytical procedure to establish the reference values for Cd, Cr and Pb amount contents in these materials is based on isotope dilution mass spectrometry used as a primary method of measurement. Cd and Pb were measured with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and Cr with positive thermal ionization-mass spectrometry. The decomposition of the polymer matrix was carried out using a high pressure asher. Reference values for amount content, traceable to the SI-system, have been obtained for these three elements in both of the polyethylene samples of PERM. For each of the certified amount content values an uncertainty budget was calculated using the method of propagation of uncertainties according to ISO and EURACHEM guidelines. The measurement procedures, as well as the uncertainty calculations, are described for all three elements. In order to keep the whole certification process as transparent as possible, the preparations of various reagents and materials as well as the sample treatment and blending are described in detail. The mass spectrometry measurements and the data treatment are also explained carefully. The various sources of uncertainty present in the procedure are displayed in the uncertainty budgets. The obtained combined uncertainties for the amount content values were less than 2% relative (k=1) for all investigated elements. The amount contents were in the ?mol/kg range, corresponding to mg/kg levels.
A new method has been developed for the measurement of sulfur in gas oils using a high pressure asher (HPA) for sample digestion. This, combined with a calibrated enriched isotopic reference material, and high precision mass spectrometry, makes it a powerful tool for an accurate and precise determination of the sulfur content in fossil fuels. The method described here was one of the methods used in the certification of the candidate reference materials BCR-104R, BCR-671 and BCR-672. Approximately 0.2 g of the gas oil samples were spiked with the spike isotopic reference material IRMM-646, which is enriched in 34S, and combusted in an HPA using nitric acid. The isotopes of sulfur were measured as arsenic monosulfides (AsS+) using a thermal ionization mass spectrometer equipped with a Faraday detector. The total uncertainty of the sulfur content (k = 2) is about 1%. The certified reference materials NIST SRM-2724b and NIST SRM-1619b and BCR-105 were used as part of the method validation work. The mass content of sulfur in BCR-104R was measured to be 1014 µg g-1, BCR-671 has 450 µg g-1 sulfur and BCR-672 shows a sulfur mass content of 201 µg g-1. The sulfur content of the candidate reference materials is homogeneous for the sample size used.
A comparison of high accuracy methods for the analysis of total sulfur in gas oils by three metrology institutes is described. The work contains a comparison of three different aspects of the analysis: sample digestion, instrumental measurement and isotope dilution strategies.
Thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS) in combination with high pressure asher (HPA) or Carius tube digestion has traditionally been used for such high accuracy analysis. However, this paper demonstrates that the faster, less laborious technique of ICP-MS in combination with microwave digestion is equally capable. Results from the comparison experiments show excellent agreement for fuel samples containing sulfur concentrations in the range 11200 µg g-1. This excellent agreement across the different sample preparation, measurement and isotope dilution techniques has been exploited in the certification of two new diesel fuel reference materials.