Determination of Impurities in Solids by Spark Source Mass Spectrometry (CAT#: STEM-ST-0265-LJX)

Introduction

The use of a double focusing mass spectrometer, employing a spark ionization source, for the examination of impurities in solids is described. The method is found to be particularly useful for obtaining rapidly a general survey of the impurities in a solid. The sensitivity is sufficient for the detection of impurities generally down to 0.01 ppm (atomic); overlap between the mass spectra of different elements is small and the sensitivity of the majority of elements is similar, at least to within a factor of three. The service determined the impurities in low alloy steels, magnesium, aluminium, copper, graphite and silicon.