The determination of tin, chlorine, and fluorine in six japanese sedimentary standards

Abstract

Concentrations of tin, chlorine, and fluorine in six new Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ) sedimentary standards are reported. Tin was determined using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS), following a lithium metaborate (LMB) fusion of the rock material. Chlorine and fluorine were determined using ion-selective electrode (ISE) potentiometry following an acid digestion and a LMB fusion, respectively. The methods employed are briefly described and determination limits in the rock of 0.2 μg/g for tin, 10 μg/g for chlorine, and 100 μg/g for fluorine are reported. The precision obtained for the six sedimentary standards, expressed as %relative standard deviation, averaged 5.3% over the range of 2-200 μg/g tin, 5.8% over the range of 20–65 μg/g chloride, and 1.7% over the range of 100–4500 μg/g fluoride, all in the rock. This compares favorably to the precision obtained for international geologic reference materials determined concurrently with the GSJ sedimentary standards. The values of tin, chloride, and fluoride obtained for the international reference materials were in favorable agreement with the recommended literature values.