Laser photoionization spectroscopy of ruthenium traces at the level of 1 part in 10^12

Abstract

The method of laser-photoionization analytical spectroscopy with thermal vacuum atomization of solids in combination with fire-assay enrichment has been investigated to detect traces of ruthenium in natural objects. The process of fire-assay concentration of ruthenium into lead alloys, which produces enhancement factors of ruthenium from 102 to 104 without loss of element, has been studied. It has been shown for the first reported time that it is possible to calibrate the analytical signals from thermally atomized solid matrices by using an analytical curve based on aqueous standards. The detection limits of ruthenium for solid samples is 1 part in 1012 and for seawater 0.03 part in 1012.