More investigations into elemental fractionation resulting from laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry on glass samples

Laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry LA–ICP–MS.experiments have been performed to determine if any portion of the observed elemental fractionation from 532 nm ablation of glass samples occurs in the ICP. A tubing insert has been made to remove the larger sized particles from the transfer tubing before they reach the ICP–MS and particles counter. The advantages of the tubing insert is that the ablation parameters can be held constant while the particles size distribution is changed. The data suggest that indeed the ICP may contribute to elemental fractionation. It also suggest that the composition of the particles may vary with size. Evidence for a change in the ablation process at 109 Wrcm2 is also noted. The particle size distribution shifts, the slope of the analytes’ MS response changes, and less elemental fractionation is observed beyond this irradiance threshold. q1998 Elsevier Science B.V.