Elemental & Isotope Analysis Unit

MC-ICP-MS, or Multicollector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, is defined as a technique that complements thermal ionization mass spectrometry by enabling the measurement of elements with higher ionization energies and offering high sample throughput. Laser Ablation (LA) ICP-MS and Solution ICP-MS are advanced techniques for precise elemental and isotopic analysis. LA-ICP-MS uses a laser to ablate solid samples, ionizing the material and analyzing it with mass spectrometry, offering high spatial resolution for trace element detection in minerals and biological samples. Solution ICP-MS, on the other hand, analyzes liquid samples by nebulizing them into a plasma, where they are ionized and measured for elemental composition. Both techniques provide highly sensitive, accurate results for a wide range of applications, from environmental testing to materials research. XRF (X-ray fluorescence) is a non-destructive analytical technique used to determine the elemental composition of materials. XRF analyzers determine the chemistry of a sample by measuring the fluorescent (or secondary) X-ray emitted from a sample when it is excited by a primary X-ray source. An elemental analyzer is an instrument that combusts or pyrolyzes a sample and measures the resulting gases to determine its elemental composition (typically C, H, N, S, and O) with high precision.