Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS)

Silicate Digestion, Separation, and Measurement

Akio Makishima

• Publisher: Wiley-VCH
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9783527696444
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Analytic Chemistry

This first book to discuss both separation chemistry and mass spectrometry for mineral and rock analysis compares the two frequently used techniques, analyzing both their scope and limitations by way of numerous practical examples.
The excellent and highly experienced author adopts a comprehensive and systematic approach, reviewing all the steps involved in an analytical workflow. In addition to thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), he also discusses applications of ICP-MS. Furthermore, alongside detailed protocols on sample preparation and mass spectrometric measurements, numerous practical hints are given.
A must-have handy guide for all isotope geochemists and anyone involved in isotope analysis.

Chapter 1
Analytical Geochemistry

1.1 Overview of Analytical Geochemistry

In this chapter, we reconsider why we determine the concentration of elements or isotopic ratios in silicate materials. In this book, the application of analytical chemistry techniques to earth sciences is named as “analytical geochemistry.”

The purposes of the analytical geochemistry are to reveal the distribution of elements and to unravel origin and evolution of the solar system including the Earth, the Moon, other planets, asteroids, dwarf planets, and comets from atomic scale to solar system scale, namely, from nanometer to tetrameter scales (the SI prefixes are summarized in Table 1.1).

Table 1.1 SI prefixes

10^18	Exa	E
10^15	Peta	P
10^12	Tera	T
10^9	Giga	G
10^6	Mega	M
10^3	Kilo	k
10^−3	Milli	m	Empirical expression
10^−6	Micro	μ	µg g^−1 = ppm
10^−9	Nano	n	ng g^−1 = ppb
10^−12	Pico	p	pg g^−1 = ppt
10^−15	Femto	f	fg g^−1 = ppq
10^−18	Atto	a

Empirical expressions are sometimes used, but they are not recommended.

It is easy to say but difficult to accomplish. In order to reach the result, we need a strategy. It took more than a century to establish five strategies in analytical geochemistry. To execute these strategies, we had to wait for developments of analytical methods. In other words, the evolution of the analytical methods was directly related to the evolution in analytical geochemistry and earth sciences. The evolution includes the new strategies to determine as many elements as possible, to measure isotopic ratios as precisely as possible, and to analyze as small an amount of the samples as possible. For example, TIMS (thermal ionization mass spectrometry) is one of the analytical methods that seemed to satisfy the requirements of analytical geochemistry. In this chapter, the strategies in analytical geochemistry are briefly reviewed.

We have five strategies in analytical geochemistry: (i) major element geochemistry; (ii) trace element geochemistry; (iii) determination of mass fractionation; (iv) age dating; and (v) radiogenic isotopes for geochemical tracers.

1.1.1 Major Element Geochemistry

When geochemistry started, the strategy was only to determine the bulk major elements using classic wet chemistry. Then the classification of rocks was the first thing we would do. For the classification of igneous rocks, the use of a TAS (total alkali versus silica) diagram was one o...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Related Titles
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• Dedication
• Preface
• Chapter 1: Analytical Geochemistry
• Chapter 2: Basics and Principles of Sample Digestion
• Chapter 3: Basics and Principles of Chemical Separation
• Chapter 4: Mass Spectrometry
• Chapter 5: Techniques in TIMS
• Chapter 6: Application of TIMS to Isotopic Ratio Analysis of Each Element
• Chapter 7: Conclusions
• Appendix A: Bulk Analysis and Spot Analysis
• Appendix B: Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)
• References
• Index
• End User License Agreement