[Zurück]

S. Asai, A. Limbeck:
"LA-ICP-MS of rare earth elements concentrated in cation-exchange resin particles for origin attribution of uranium ore concentrate";
Talanta, 135 (2015), S. 41 - 49.

Rare earth elements (REE) concentrated in cation-exchange resin particles were measured with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to obtain chondrite-normalized REE plots. The sensitivity of REE was increased in ascending order of the atomic number, according to the sensitivity trend in solution nebulization ICP-MS (PN-ICP-MS). The signal intensities of REE were nearly proportional to the concentrations of REE in the immersion solution used for particle-preparation. Minimum measurable concentration calculated from the net signals of REE was approximately 1 ng/g corresponding to 0.1 ng in a particle-preparation solution. In LA analysis, formation of oxide and hydroxide of the light REE and Ba which causes spectral interferences in the heavy REE measurement were effectively attenuated due to the solvent-free measurement capability, compared to those of conventional solution nebulization PN-ICP-MS. To evaluate the practical applicability of the proposed method, the REE-adsorbed particles prepared by immersing them in a U-bearing solution (commercially available U standard solution) were measured with LA-ICP-MS. Aside from the LA analysis, each concentration of REE in the same U standard solution was determined with conventional PN-ICP-MS analysis after separating REE by cation-exchange chromatography. The concentrations of REE were ranging from 0.04 (Pr) to 1.08 (Dy) μg/g-U. The chondrite-normalized plot obtained through LA-ICP-MS analysis of the U standard sample exhibited close agreement with that obtained through the PN-ICP-MS analysis of the REE-separated solution within the uncertainties.

Rare earth elements, Uranium ore concentrate, Cation-exchange resin, LA-ICP-MS, Nuclear forensics

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2014.12.009