Determination of Total Sulfur in Fifteen Geological Materials Using Inductively Coupled Plasma‐Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP‐OES) and Combustion/Infrared Spectrometry

Abstract

A method for the determination of total sulfur in geological materials by inductively coupled plasma‐optical emission spectrometry (ICP‐OES) is described. We show that good results were obtained using this method even for sample types with very low (< 20 μg g−1) sulfur concentration (e.g., peridotite). Sulfur was determined in fifteen geological reference materials with different sulfur contents. For reference materials with certified sulfur contents, the ICP‐OES method gave results in excellent agreement with certified values, and uncertainties better than 4% RSD. ICP‐OES results for sulfur in other reference materials yielded RSDs better than 10%, where S concentrations were > 100 μg g−1 (except for diabase W‐2a, 16% RSD). Reference materials with lower sulfur contents (< 40 μg g−1) showed much higher RSDs (17–18%). Except for RMs with certified values for sulfur, most data obtained by the combustion infrared detection method generally showed higher concentrations than those measured by ICP‐OES and a better RSD (≤ 8% for all materials except DTS‐2b).

Abundances of Sulfur, Selenium, Tellurium, Rhenium and Platinum‐Group Elements in Eighteen Reference Materials by Isotope Dilution Sector‐Field ICP‐MS and Negative TIMS

“…, Ackerman et al . ). However, different methods have yielded systematically different results for some samples (e.g., Okai et al .…”

“…, Ackerman et al . ). This may be due to different oxidation states of sulfur in some RMs (presence of sulfates and sulfides), which can lead to incomplete decomposition or partial loss of sulfur as H 2 S or SO 2 during acid digestion (Okai et al .…”

“…, Ackerman et al . ). Another explanation of variable results may be heterogeneous distribution of sulfur‐rich phases.…”

“…, Ackerman et al . ). Sulfur abundance data of RMs, such as peridotite UB‐N and basalt BCR‐2, have yielded precise results by the same method, but systematic and significant differences when different digestion or analytical methods were employed (Okai et al .…”

“…, Ackerman et al . ). For RMs with low sulfur contents, few sulfur concentration values are available.…”