DIRECT SOLIDS ANALYSIS OF GEOLOGICAL SAMPLES USING SLURRY NEBULIZATION INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA-ATOMIC EMISSION-SPECTROMETRY

A simple preparation scheme is described for the quantitative analysis of geological materials using slurry nebulization inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Micrometre to submicro metre particles were obtained using the zirconia bead and bottle metho d, but employing a 3-dimensional turbulent mixer mill which provides v igorous action. With the use of a V-groove Ebdon nebulizer and a Trass y-Mermet torch system, major, minor and trace elements were determined by ICP-AES using aqueous standards and the application of k-factors t o compensate for incomplete recoveries. Alternatively, matrix-matched reference materials were used to analyse a wide range of geological ma terials varying in chemical and mineralogical composition.