Influence of matrix effects on methods for the quantification of major and impurity elements in brass using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS)

Abstract

Three quantification methods for secondary ion mass spectrometry, namely the sensitivity factor method, the local thermodynamic equilibrium method and the matrix ion species ratio method, were evaluated for the determination of several matrix and impurity elements in brass standard reference materials. The heterogeneity of the trace element distributions was investigated. A comparison of the internal and external reproducibility of the sensitivity factor method and the matrix ion species ratio method revealed the clear superiority of the latter. Varying the concentration ratio of Cu and Zn allowed the influence of the matrix composition on the sensitivity factors of the different elements to be evaluated. The matrix effect appears to be dependent on the reference species chosen.