Determination of trace elements in steel by high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry without matrix separation

In order to meet strict increasingly quanlity requirement in iron and steel production,it is necessary to reduce the determination low limits of trace elements in steel to the μg/g order.In this study,trace elements like B,Al,P,Cr,Pb,Sn,Sb,As,Bi in μg/g or sub μg/g level in steel were determined fast and accurately.Steel samples were dissolved with nitric acid,hydrochloric acid and hydrofluoric acid by electrothermal heating or microwave digestion.After diluted,the solution was measured by high resolution inductively couled plasma-mass spectrometry(HR-ICP-MS)without any matrix separation or internal standard.It had good precision giving RSDs(n=10)of below 5%except for 10.5% of Bi.The detection limits of the method was lower than 0.1 μg/g,except for 0.144 μg/g of P.The recoveries of 86%-106% were satisfied,except for 81%-120% of As.The measured values tally with the certified values.The method is extraordinary suitable for the determination of trace elements in steel.