LASER ABLATION ICP-MS ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUAL FLUID INCLUSIONS: AN EVALUATION STUDY

Abstract

Details are given of the elemental analysis of single fluid inclusions using a UV laser ablation microprobe interfaced to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The UV laser, a frequency quadrupled Nd:YAG operating at 266 nm, allows higher spatial resolution (<2 μm) than can be achieved using near-IR or visible wavelengths. Tests have been carried out on 10-100 μm diameter aqueous (liquid + vapour) inclusions in fluorite, quartz, and halite up to 60 μm beneath the surface. A key feature of the system is a novel high temperature ablation cell which substantially improves the efficiency and reproducibility of fluid release. Calibration was carried out using a dual gas flow system that allowed use of standard solutions and NIST glasses for tuning the instrument and for obtaining relative sensitivity factors. As an alternative to synthetic fluid inclusions, a new calibration approach is described involving the encapsulation of microdroplets of standard solutions in hydrophobic epoxy resins fluid inclusion analogues. To illustrate the scope and performance of the instrument, data are reported for Ba, Ca, Cs, Cu, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Pb, Rb, Sr, and Zn in saline aqueous inclusions associated with evaporite and low temperature base metal deposits. Element detection limits vary according to the mass of material released for analysis and are thus related to the volume and composition of each inclusion. Precision is estimated to be better than 30%.