COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS OF ALUMINUM-OXIDE POWDERS BY INDUCTIVELY-COUPLEDPLASMA-MASS SPECTROMETRY WITH LOW AND HIGH-MASS RESOLUTION

ICP-MS with low and moderate mass resolution was applied to the determ ination of trace elements (B, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Z r, Ba, La and Ce) in two different pare Al2O3 powders after decomposit ion. Four different sets of measurements were performed: (1) with quad rupole instrument in standard operation; (2) with the same instrument including an on-line matrix trace separation step; (3) with a double-f ocusing magnetic field instrument operated at;low resolution (R=300); and (4) with the same instrument operated with moderate resolution (R= 3000). Generally, the quantitative results obtained with the four diff erent techniques are in good agreement. Application of the double-focu sing instrument with moderate mass resolution permitted the determinat ion of spectrally interfering elements such as V, Cr, Mn, Fe and Ga in Al2O3 in the 0.04-10 mu g g(-1) range far above the detection limit. For all four applied techniques, blank values arising from the reagent s and instrumentation were a major limitation for a number of elements , and the lowest detection limits were obtained in each instance for e lements that do not suffer from limitations due to blank values.