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Phase-Loading Discriminated Calibration of LA-ICP-MS Maps in Lead–Arsenic Murrina Glass

Author(s): Walter Giger1
1Giger Research Consulting, 8049 Zürich, Switzerland
Walter Giger
Giger Research Consulting, 8049 Zürich, Switzerland

Abstract

Interpretation of quantiative LA-ICP-MS mapping of phase segregation in glass entails separation of differences in phase chemistry from effects due to material loading into the plasma during analysis. The present study evaluates two-domain lead-arsenic murrina glass consisting of transparent soda-lime-silica glass and an opaque Pb-As-rich white glass. The primary focus is on the possibility of separating phase chemistry from material-loading effects based on differences between material introduction during LA-ICP-MS mapping of the two domains. Data for transparent and white domains includes instrumental parameters, calibrated LA-ICP-MS concentrations, normalized LA-ICP-MS concentrations, SEM-EDXS data, depth measurement, density estimate, concentration ratios, and loading factors. The white domain had a depth-density product loading factor of 6.34 while that of the transparent domain was 3.11, giving a 2.04 times larger loading factor for material introduction. The material loading effect was significantly lower compared to the observed difference in chemical composition. Arsenic concentration rose from 0.319 ± 0.024 % in the transparent glass to 4.88 ± 0.27 % in the white glass, and lead attained a concentration of 31.12 ± 1.31 % in the white phase. Conversely, calcium concentration was higher in the transparent phase compared to the white phase by a ratio of 0.18. Barium remained a minor component as it could not be accurately quantified by SEM-EDXS. It is concluded that the current study confirms that material loading information can separate phase chemistry from physical effects using SEM-EDXS and LA-ICP-MS concentration maps and ablation depth.

Keywords: LA-ICP-MS; murrina glass; ablation loading; SEM-EDXS; phase-resolved calibration; arsenic opacification; lead glass; chemical imaging
Copyright © 2025 Walter Giger. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.