Monitoring and controlling the level of trace element impurities in metals and alloys is important, as impurities can affect the properties of the metal and may degrade the functionality of the finished component. ICP-OES is commonly used for the routine measurement of trace elements in metal samples because of its multi-element capability and tolerance of the high matrix level present in metal sample digests. However, the development of high purity metals and higher-performance alloys requires stricter control of a wider range of trace elements at lower concentrations, so a technique with lower detection limits than ICP-OES is required. ICP-MS offers low detection limits for the elements of interest, but the technique has not previously been considered suitable for the analysis of high matrix samples such as metal digests. For example, conventional ICP-MS instruments may suffer from signal suppression and/or long-term signal drift due to matrix deposition on the interface cones, which affects the signal stability and the accuracy of the analytical results. To overcome this limitation, Agilent’s Ultra High Matrix Introduction (UHMI) aerosol dilution technology has been developed to allow the

Laser Ablation-ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS) is used for the elemental analysis of solid samples and powders, including geological materials, ceramics, biological tissue and forensic samples. In this study, two calibration strategies (matrix matching and non-matrix matching) were used for the quantitative analysis of high purity metals. Since solid samples can be analyzed directly using LA-ICP-MS, minimal sample preparation is required compared to standard liquid sample introduction. This reduces the risk of analyte loss and eliminates the introduction of contaminants by avoiding the dissolution process. However, accurate quantitative analysis can be problematic for LA-ICP-MS analysis, due to lack of solid calibration standards. Preparing calibration standards for the analysis of solids is more difficult than for liquid sample analysis, and matrix-matched solid calibration standards that contain the analytes at suitable concentrations are rarely available. In a few cases, such as the metals industry, well-characterized, matrix-matched standards may already be available, since established analytical techniques such as Arc/Spark or Glow Discharge (GD) Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) utilize solid standards.