Analyses of silver and palladium brazing filler metals by glow discharge mass spectrometry

The analyses of silver and palladium brazing filler metals by means of the glow discharge mass spectrometry (GDMS) have been studied. A double focusin g glow discharge mass spectrometer, Fisons Instruments (UK) VG 9000, was us ed. As it was difficult to obtain an adequate commercial silver brazing fil ler metals, which contained all analytes under investigation, multicomponen t silver-based alloys were prepared in a graphite crucible by using a high- frequency induction furnace. Chemical compositions of those alloys were obt ained by the JIS analytical method. Spectral interference due to argide ion s of main constituent Cu and Zn was solved by selecting suitable isotopic s pecies in the range from m/z102 to m/z124, depending on the major and minor constituents of sample. The relative sensitivity factor (RSF) of each anal yte was evaluated from the analytical values of ten reference materials. Th e analytical results of a practical sheet sample (Ag-32Cu-10Pd, thickness; 500 mum) showed good agreement with results obtained by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry based on the fundamental parameter method and by chemical anal ysis. The analytical precision of proposed method, defined as RSD, was with in 1% for major element and within 20% for trace impurity.