Boron and Oxygen Isotope Composition of Certified Reference Materials NIST SRM 610/612 and Reference Materials JB‐2 and JR‐2

Abstract

We present data on the concentration, the isotope composition and the homogeneity of boron in NIST silicate glass reference materials SRM 610 and SRM 612, and in powders and glasses of geological reference materials JB‐2 (basalt) and JR‐2 (rhyolite). Our data are intended to serve as references for both microanalytical and wet‐chemical techniques. The δ11 B compositions determined by N‐TIMS and P‐TIMS agree within 0.5% and compare with SIMS data within 2.5%. SIMS profiles demonstrate boron isotope homogeneity to better than δ11 B = 2% for both NIST glasses, however a slight boron depletion was detected towards the outermost 200 μm of the rim of each sample wafer. The boron isotope compositions of SRM 610 and SRM 612 were indistinguishable. Glasses produced in this study by fusing JB‐2 and JR‐2 powder also showed good boron isotope homogeneity, both within and between different glass fragments. Their major element abundance as well as boron isotope compositions and concentrations were identical to those of the starting composition. Hence, reference materials (glasses) for the in situ measurement of boron isotopes can be produced from already well‐studied volcanic samples without significant isotope fractionation. Oxygen isotope ratios, both within and between wafers, of NIST reference glasses SRM 610 and SRM 612 are uniform. In contrast to boron, significant differences in oxygen isotope compositions were found between the two glasses, which may be due to the different amounts of trace element oxides added at ten‐fold different concentration levels to the silicate matrix.