Determination of trace elements in steels by ICP-MS coupled with laser ablation in solutions

In order to widen the scope of laser ablation/ICP-MS, calibration curves were prepared by using aqueous standard solutions instead of using standard solid materials. The sample in water was irradiated by a Q-switched Nd/YAG laser beam (100 mJ, 1064 nm) for 600s. The resulted solution was directly introduced into the ICP-torch through a pneumatic nebulizer for the analysis by MS. A series of aqueous standard solutions was employed for the preparation of calibration curves. The accuracy of the analytical data was improved by compensating the selective vaporization among analytes. The proposed method was applied to the determination of Cr, Ni, and Mo in reference materials for steel. The analytical results were in good agreement with the certified values