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PRISE    Laser ICP-MS

(Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer)

An EXCIMER UV laser system, capable of ablating silicate, oxide and sulphide phases is used for precision microsampling and analysis of more than 50 elements in tandem with the RSES ICP-MS. Detection limits scale with the ablation site dimension, and can be tailored to range from sub ppb levels on large ablation sites (100-200 µm) through to low ppm levels on small sites (10-15 µm). The EXCIMER UV laser ablation system presents a breakthrough in the analysis of those elements which display "volatile" behaviour when more conventional IR and UV laser systems are employed.

This extends the application of laser ICP-MS to the quantitative analysis of elements previously difficult to measure, in particular the many sulphide associated "ore metals".