A comparison of laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry for the direct determination of bromine in polymers

This work describes the development and comparison.of two methods for the direct determination of Br in polymer samples via solid sampling, one using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and the other using high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry with direct solid sample analysis (HR-CS SS-GF MAS). The methods were optimized and their accuracy was evaluated by comparing the results obtained for 6 polymeric certified reference materials (CRMs) with the corresponding certified values. For Br determination with LA-ICP-MS, the 79Br signal could be monitored interference-free. For Br determination via HR-CS SS-GF MAS, the CaBr molecule was monitored at 625315 nm with integration of the central pixel +/- 1. Bromine quantification by LA-ICP-MS was performed via external calibration against a single CRM while using the C-12(+) signal as an internal standard. With HR-CS SS-GF MAS, Br quantification could be accomplished using external calibration against aqueous standard solutions. Except for one LA-IC-PMS result, the concentrations obtained with both techniques were in agreement with the certified values within the experimental uncertainty as evidenced using a t-test (95% confidence level). The limit of quantification was determined to be 100 jig g(-1) Br for LA-ICP-MS and 100 mu g(-1) Br for HR-CS SS-GF MAS. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.