Baseline Studies of the Clay Minerals Society Source Clays: Chemical Analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS)

Abstract
Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is ideally suited for the rapid and simultaneous analysis of multiple elements in geological materials, including soils, organic substances and most rock types (Eggins et al., 1997; Long erich et al., 1990; Jenner et al., 1990). The application to clay minerals is more recent (Jain et al., 1994). This technique is highly sensitive, and is capable of analyzing a wide range of isotopes covering the entire mass spectrum Consequently, ICP-MS is used to measure directly rare earth and platinum group elements at ppb levels without preconcentration.