Investigation of the efficiency of the sample pretreatment stage for the determination of the Rare Earth Elements in rock samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry technique

Application of microwave digestion for complete dissolution of igneous silicate rock samples: A simple and quick sample preparation procedure

In the area of geochemical analyses of rock solutions, achieving a complete sample dissolution is a fundamental prerequisite for obtaining accurate, precise and reliable analytical results. The challenge posed by the presence of resistant minerals such as zircon, rutile, corundum, spinel, tourmaline, beryl, chromite, and cassiterite in different silicate rocks is a well-recognized challenge in geological studies. These minerals, due to their resilient nature, demand additional efforts to ensure complete dissolution during sample preparation. The prevailing conventional sample digestion methods require several days of laboratory work and the handling of large amounts of multiple types of acids, which also increase sample blanks. Until recently, there was a widely held belief that microwave-assisted digestion, where microwave radiation is transformed to heat, faced limitations in achieving complete dissolution of refractory minerals. This prevailing opinion led to skepticism about the applicability of microwave-assisted digestion for sample preparation of e.g. igneous rock samples containing these minerals. This study introduces a novel, universal and quick closed-vessel (pressurized) high-temperature microwave-assisted digestion method appropriate for dissolution of all major types of igneous silicate rock samples, including rocks containing refractory minerals. This streamlined and expeditious procedure, comprising three steps, requires only a total time of ∼9 h. The method proves its versatility by successfully dissolving both, mafic igneous samples (e.g., basalt) with low-content of resistant minerals, and felsic igneous samples (e.g., granite) with relatively high-content of resistant minerals. To validate the reliability of this procedure, 36 trace elements were analyzed: Li, Be, Sc, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ta, Pb, Th and U in several geological Certified Reference Materials (CRMs). The CRMs including basalts JB-3, BCR-2, BHVO-2; andesites JA-2, AGV-2; granodiorite GSP-2; granite JG-2 and alkaline granite MGL-OShBO, were digested and analyzed using triple quadrupole Inductively Coupled-Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-QQQ). The results of the analysis demonstrate remarkable consistency, closely aligning with both certified and literature values.

Determination of concentrations of Sr and Ba in coal and coal combustion by-products: A comparison between results by ICP-MS and XRF techniques

Concentrations of trace elements in coal and coal combustion products are commonly analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) due to large number of elements detected and the relatively the low detection limits of this technique. Like other geological samples, complete dissolution of coal and coal combustion products is also essential for accurate ICP-MS results. In this study, Sr and Ba in coal and coal combustion products (fly and bottom ashes) from two coal-combustion power plants from North China analyzed by XRF and ICP-MS were comparatively studied. The concentrations of Sr and Ba analyzed by ICP-MS, when a mixture of acids (2 ml HF + 5 ml HNO3 for each 50 mg coal sample and 5 ml HF + 2 ml HNO3 for each 50 mg ash sample) was used for microwave-assisted digestion, do not fit well with the their relative XRF results. This is most probably due to the formation of the fluorides during microwave digestion, and this assumption is supported by the presence of various fluoride compounds, NaMgAl(F, OH)6·H2O, NH4MgAlF6, AlF3, and K2SiF6, in the residues of all the coal and ash samples in our sequential extraction experiment. Cations of Sr and Ba were probably trapped into the divalent cation sites of the fluorides. Concentrations of Sr and Ba analyzed by ICP-MS using increased HF and HF/HNO3 ratio (7 ml HF and 2 ml HNO3 for each 50 mg coal/ash sample) are in better agreement with the XRF results. Our results indicate that excess amount of HF probably has led to the suppression of these elements due to fluoride precipitation. The results indicate that the modified digestion method is capable of achieving complete digestion of coal samples and results in a reliable analysis of Sr and Ba concentrations in coal samples and most fly ashes by ICP-MS. However, the formation of insoluble fluorides is probably not completely suppressed for some bottom ash samples, which can result in underestimation of Sr and Ba concentrations. Nevertheless, XRF analysis can serve as a reliable cross-check method to assist in the evaluation of the accuracy of ICP-MS results.

Development and application of an analysis method for the determination of rare earth elements in silicate-rich samples by Na2O2 sintering and ICP-MS analysis

The performance of a fast and simple analytical procedure for rare earth elements (REEs) quantification from secondary sources was investigated in the present work. Seven silicate-rich certified reference materials (CRMs) in the form of Andesite (JA-1), Basalt (JB-3), Rhyolite (JR-1, JR-2), Granite (JG-2), Granodiorite (JG-3), and Till (TILL-1), were used for the optimization and characterization of the analysis method. The optimized method was used in the analysis of nine mining wastes selected within the ENVIREE project, under the ERA-MIN Program of the 7th Framework, having as the main aim to ensure a policy securing long-term access of REEs secondary sources at reasonable costs. For silicate-rich samples efficient solid dissolution involves sintering with Na₂O₂ at 460 °C and a sample to oxidizing reagent ratio of 1:6.5. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used in the quantification of the REEs with aerosol dilution of samples applied to minimize the salt effect on the plasma and interface regions. The work performed in the present study clearly shows that accurate reports on the REE concentrations from geological matrices also involves as mandatory the estimation of the overall uncertainty from various sources (sample preparation or analyte measurements). In the analysis of geological samples, the proposed analysis method has on average 23% of the overall uncertainty explained by the sample preparation and 77% accounted by the analysis steps. Moreover, the method described by effective, cheap, robust and safe attributes, can be recommended as an accessible alternative to the HF wet digestion method. Although from all the investigated tailings samples, only those from Sweden and Czech Republic can be regarded as potential secondary sources for REEs, investigation of other resources with interest at European level might bring a great benefit in the general attempt to develop an economically viable method for the production of rare earth elements.

Determination of major elements in igneous rocks using microwave plasma atomic emission spectrometry (MP-AES)

An analytical method for sample preparation of igneous rocks and subsequent determination of Si, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, Mn, Ba, Sr, and Ti by means of microwave induced emission spectrometry (MP-AES) was developed and validated. The proposed sample preparation procedure avoids the use of perchloric acid and provided accurate results even for silicon determination using an acid digestion with hydrofluoric acid. The determination of major elements in rocks is required for the design of classification diagrams that provides relevant information for geochemical analysis.•

MP-AES showed to be an adequate technique to measure major and some trace elements that are relevant for classification of igneous rocks.

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This method is in better agreement with the principles of the Green Analytical Chemistry and constitutes a reliable alternative to classical analytical and tedious procedures used for geochemical analysis.

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The methodology was successfully applied to chemical classification of rocks from Valle Chico (Uruguay) using a Total Alkali-Silica Diagram (TAS).

A comparative study of sample dissolution techniques and plasma-based instruments for the precise and accurate quantification of REEs in mineral matrices

The recent commercialisation of inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometric (ICP-MS/MS) instruments has provided analytical chemists with a new tool to properly quantify atomic composition in a variety of matrices with minimal sample preparation. In this article, we report on our assessment of the compatibility of 3 sample preparation techniques (open-vessel acid digestion, microwave digestion and alkaline fusion) for the quantification of rare earth elements (REEs) in mineral matrices. The combination of the high digestion temperatures (1050 °C) and using LiBO₂ as a flux was the most effective strategy for the digestion of all rare earth elements in mineral matrices and was compatible with ICP-MS/MS measurements. We also assessed the analytical performances of ICP-MS/MS against other plasma-based instrumentation (microwave induced plasma and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MIP-AES and ICP-AES, respectively) and single quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The comparative study showed that the concentrations obtained by ICP-MS/MS are in excellent agreement with the certified reference material values, and much more suited than the other analytical techniques tested for the quantification of REEs, which exhibited low detectability and/or spectral interferences for some elements/isotopes. Finally, the ruggedness of the analytical protocol proposed which combines a rapid sample dissolution step performed by an automated fusion unit and an ICP-MS/MS as a detector was established using various certified mineral matrices containing variable levels of REEs.

Recovery rate and homogeneity of doping europium into luminescent metal hydrides by chemical analysis

A study on recovery rate and homogeneity of the activator ion concentration in luminescent europium doped metal hydrides and a reliable method for reproducibly doping europium are presented.