Nu Instruments | Highly Precise and Accurate Potassium Isotope Determination
Potassium isotope measurements provide important insights into volatile element depletion and planetary evolution. This application note demonstrates how Sapphire MC-ICP-MS achieves highly accurate and precise potassium isotope analysis by removing argon-based interferences using collision cell technology.
Potassium isotopes are widely used to study geological and planetary processes. Conventional MC-ICP-MS methods can be complicated by intense ⁴⁰ArH⁺ interferences that affect measurement of ⁴¹K.
The Sapphire Dual-Path MC-ICP-MS uses a collision cell with He and H₂ gases to eliminate interfering species and enable direct low-resolution measurement of potassium isotopes. This improves analytical performance while simplifying operation.
Measurements of laboratory standards and BHVO-2 reference material demonstrated excellent precision and reproducibility over multiple days. The method enables reliable isotope analysis of samples with very low potassium concentrations and limited sample availability.
Key Takeaways:
- Direct ⁴¹K measurement is possible through efficient interference removal.
- High precision and reproducibility are maintained over extended analytical sequences.
- Small and precious geological samples can be analysed with reduced sample
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