Calibration graphs for steels by IR laser ablation inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

Infrared laser ablation (IRLA) was studied as a sample-introduction techniq ue for the analysis of steels by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). A comparison of two IRLA-ICP-AES systems based on Q-switched nanosecond Nd: YAG lasers was performed. The bearn of the LINA-S park atomizer (LSA Sarl, Cully, Switzerland) based on the Surelite I-20 las er (Continuum, USA) was moved along a circle. A Perkin-Elmer Optima 3000 DV ICP system was used both with lateral and axial viewing modes. A laborator y-made ablation system based on the Brilliant laser (Quantel) was coupled t o a Jobin-Yvon 170 Ultrace ICP (lateral viewing, polychromator part employe d). A sample was rotated along a circle during ablation. Linearity of calib ration plots was verified at least up to 19% Cr and 12% Ni without internal standardization for both LA-ICP-AES systems. Other elements examined were Mo up to 3%, Mn up 1.5%, Si up to 1.7%, and Cu up to 0.15%. The reproducibi lity was in the range 5-1 %RSD for a mass percentage 0.5-20% of steel const ituents. The relative uncertainty of the centroids of the calibration lines was in the range from +/-4% to +/- 12% for Cr, Ni, Mn, Mo, and Si, and fro m +/-8% to +/- 19% for Cu. The lowest determinable quantities were calculat ed for calibration dependencies. Performances of both the IR-LA-ICP-AES wer e comparable.