Semi-quantitative analysis of geological samples using laser plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Abstract

A method has been developed that allows the direct measurement of the elemental composition of geological samples based on a newly developed laser plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometer with a collisional cooling system. This technique has the merits of small sample consumption and rapid elemental analysis. Four geological reference materials were used in the experiment. The system has shown a satisfactory resolving power with few interferences in the spectra. The limits of detection were about 10⁻⁶–10⁻⁷ g g⁻¹ for most of the metal elements. The relative sensitivity coefficients (RSCs) of the elements with mass heavier than 30 amu could be used for direct semi-quantitative analysis.