News from LabRulezICPMS Library - Week 7, 2025

Our Library never stops expanding. What are the most recent contributions to LabRulezICPMS Library in the week of 10th February 2025? Check out new documents from the field of spectroscopy/spectrometry and related techniques!

👉 SEARCH THE LARGEST REPOSITORY OF DOCUMENTS ABOUT SPECTROSCOPY/SPECTROMETRY RELATED TECHNIQUES

👉 Need info about different analytical techniques? Peek into LabRulezLCMS or LabRulezGCMS libraries.

This week we bring you applications by Shimadzu, Agilent Technologies and Thermo Fisher Scientific!

1. Shimadzu: Analyzing Various Plastics

Benefits of Bundled KnowItAll® Software

• Application note
• Full PDF for download

This article describes using John Wiley & Sons, Inc. KnowItAll software for plastic analysis. KnowItAll has an extensive library for a wide variety of data analysis, such as searching for multiple components to identify and determine the percentage of chemical components contained in plastics or identifying
functional groups attributable to specific spectral peaks (partial structural analysis). Furthermore, KnowItAll is bundled with Shimadzu LabSolutions IR software for FTIR analysis and AMsolution infrared microscope software. Clicking the [KnowItAll] button in the Shimadzu software automatically sends the active spectral data to the KnowItAll software, ensuring quick analysis.

Conclusion

An FTIR system in combination with a single-reflection ATR accessory can measure a variety of plastics. However, the analyst must be able to judge whether the software data analysis results are correct, which requires significant amounts of knowledge and experience. But with KnowItAll bundle described in this article, functional groups of specific peaks or multiple components can be easily analyzed, providing an effective way to improve the accuracy of data analysis.

2. Shimadzu: Speciation Analysis of Chromium by LC-ICP-MS Based on ISO 24384

• Application note
• Full PDF for download

User Benefits:

• Enables Cr(III) and Cr(VI) to be measured simultaneously in accordance with ISO 24384.
• Suffers less interference from coexisting substances than the conventional method for measuring Cr(VI) and can be analyzed with
  a simple pretreatment.
• Easy to connect instruments simply by attaching the LC column outlet piping to the ICP-MS nebulizer.

In this method, Cr(III) is chelated using 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (PDCA) or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and then separated and quantified by LC-ICP-MS. This method is less prone to interference, is simple to use , and allows simultaneous determination of Cr(III) and Cr(VI). In this application, EDTA was used as a chelating agent, and the results of performing chromium speciation using a Prominence Inert Analysis System connected to an ICPMS-2050 are reported.

Conclusion

The measurement sensitivity and resolution were good, and the spike recovery rate for each sample met the criteria required by ISO 24384 well. The LC-ICP-MS method can simultaneously quantify Cr(III) and Cr(VI) using only simple pretreatment and is less prone to the effects of coexisting substances than the conventional method. The LC-ICP-MS analysis system is easily constructed by simply attaching the LC column outlet piping to the ICP-MS nebulizer. This analysis was performed on an ICPMS-2050 equipped with a collision/reaction cell, but it can also be performed on the ICPMS-2040, a model dedicated to the collision mode.

3. Agilent Technologies: Elemental Analysis of Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass Recycling Material by ICP-OES 

Enhancing instrument robustness for the analysis of high-TDS samples using an inert Agilent V-groove nebulizer

• Application note
• Full PDF for download

This study highlights the effectiveness of the Agilent 5900 SVDV ICP-OES, equipped with the Agilent inert V-groove nebulizer, for the multi-element analysis of acid-digests of black mass (BM) samples. This new nebulizer enables routine analysis of unfiltered samples with up to 30% total dissolved solids and suspended particles of up to 350 μm in size. The system demonstrated an outstanding long-term stability over 16 hours and excellent spike recoveries. Additionally, the V-groove nebulizer operated without blockages for over three weeks, reducing maintenance requirements while ensuring high accuracy and precision. This method offers BM producers a reliable solution for directly analyzing key analytes in unfiltered sample digests, supporting efforts to recover valuable metals from spent lithium-ion batteries.

Conclusion

This study shows the suitability of the Agilent 5900 SVDV ICP-OES equipped with the Agilent inert V-groove nebulizer for the multi-element analysis of unfiltered acid-digests of black mass (BM) samples. The robust nebulizer is recommended for the routine analysis of samples with up to 30% total dissolved solids (TDS) and particle sizes less than 350 µm. Excellent long-term stability was demonstrated when samples were analyzed over 16 hours. Measurements of the QC solution were within ± 10% of the expected value, with precision better than 5% RSD. The spike recoveries were well within ± 10% of the spiked concentration at both low and high concentration levels, confirming the accuracy of the method for the detection of a wide range of elemental concentrations in a single analysis. The V-groove nebulizer enabled the samples to be run for more than three weeks without any blockages, while maintaining a high level of accuracy and reducing the frequency of torch and nebulizer maintenance. With an increased focus on recovering valuable metals from spent lithium-ion batteries, BM producers can confidently analyze key analytes in unfiltered sample digests directly using the V-groove nebulizer to enhance the robustness of the 5900 ICP-OES.

4. Thermo Fisher Scientific: Supporting development and production with elemental analysis in life sciences and beyond

• Case study
• Full PDF for download

The central analytics laboratory at Merck KGaA in Darmstadt, Germany, provides elemental analysis services to researchers and production units across the global Merck Group. Led by Dr. Sven Traxel, the Element Analytics group operates ten ICP-MS instruments to handle approximately 3,000 analysis requests annually, supporting development and troubleshooting in various fields. Their work encompasses a diverse range of sample matrices, including pharmaceuticals, life sciences products, liquid crystals, OLEDs, semiconductor materials, specialty chemicals, and pigments. Sample preparation methods vary from microwave-assisted digestions to open vessel digestions using different acids, with analyses often conducted overnight for efficiency. The team has been assessing the Thermo Scientific™ iCAP™ MSX ICP-MS for its suitability in their analyses.

ICP-MS expert Niklas Brenner, responsible for developing and adapting measurement methods, has extensive experience with various instruments, including the Thermo Scientific™ iCAP™ Q ICP-MS. He notes that the iCAP MSX ICP-MS delivers performance comparable to other instruments in their laboratory. A significant advantage is the Argon Gas Dilution (AGD) feature, which reduces matrix effects and allows for a higher number of samples to be run before maintenance is required. Brenner reports analyzing nearly 1,500 samples with consistent performance since installation. While AGD slightly reduces system sensitivity, it does not compromise the laboratory's ability to achieve required detection limits. Routine maintenance, such as cleaning the cones, typically necessitates 2–3 hours of downtime weekly, but the iCAP MSX ICP-MS's design helps minimize this, enhancing overall laboratory efficiency.