Studies of LA-ICP-MS on quartz glasses at different wavelengths of a Nd : YAG laser

The capability of LA-ICP-MS for determination of trace impurities in transp arent quartz glasses was investigated. Due to low or completely lacking abs orption of laser radiation, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) proves difficult on transparent solids, and in par ticular the quantification of measurement results is problematic in these c ircumstances. Quartz glass reference materials of various compositions were studied by using a Nd:YAG laser system with focused laser radiation of wav elengths of 1064 nm, 532 nm and 266 nm, and an ICP-QMS (Elan 6000, Perkin E lmer). The influence of ICP and laser ablation conditions in the analysis o f quartz glasses of different compositions was investigated, with the laser power density in the region of interaction between laser radiation and sol id surface determining the ablation process. The trace element concentratio n was determined via calibration curves recorded with the aid of quartz gla ss reference materials. Under optimized measuring conditions the correlatio n coefficients of the calibration curves are in the range of 0.9-1. The rel ative sensitivity factors of the trace elements determined in the quartz gl ass matrix are 0.1-10 for most of the trace elements studied by LA-ICP-MS. The detection limits of the trace elements in quartz glass are in the low n g/g to pg/g range.