Laser Ablation

Laser ablation microprobe ICP-MS may directly examine solids such as metals, types of glass, quartz, special crystals, discrete geological materials, ceramics, insulators, wires, rubber, thin films and biological tissue samples.

No chemical treatment or digestion of the sample is required, eliminating the need for a reagent blank and the potential for incomplete dissolution of any or all components in the solid. Laser ablation ICPMS (LA-ICPMS) also allows specific regions of a sample, such as surface and inclusions or corrosion sites, to be studied.

Laser Ablation ICPMS Method

The sample is placed in a quartz window chamber resting on a computer controlled stage. Its surface height is then adjusted into the focal points of the laser beam. A pulsed Nd-Yag laser provides the appropriate incident beam with wavelengths of 355nm to optimize coupling efficiency and spot size resolutions down to 10 microns. The material is transported by Ar gas to the ICPMS torch, where it is ionized and analyzed by mass spectrometry. This method is suitable for the determination of many elements down to 0.001 ppm, but it is dependent on the matrix involved and the spatial resolution required.

Specific applications include the following:

• Surface analysis or underlying bulk analysis of most solids; this is particularly useful for detecting and mapping surface contamination.
• Mapping of trace metal concentration in biota samples, such as analysis of blood/ bone interface in wolf and pig bones, as well as analysis of membrane/ interior interface of the internal organs in rats
• Analysis of ceramics that resist chemical digestion (e.g. Silicon Carbide)
• Tiny inclusions analysis in crystals and other solids
• Analysis of diamonds, precious/ semi-precious stones and indicator minerals