A rapid method for the preparation of combustion samples for stable carbon isotope analysis by isotope ratio mass spectrometry

1988 ◽  
Vol 16 (1-12) ◽  
pp. 269-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian A. McGaw ◽  
Eric Milne ◽  
Gary J. Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Rapid Method ◽  
Isotope Ratio ◽  
Stable Carbon Isotope ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Stable Carbon ◽  
Stable Carbon Isotope Analysis ◽  
Carbon Isotope Analysis

scholarly journals On the interference of Kr during carbon isotope analysis of methane using continuous-flow combustion–isotope ratio mass spectrometry

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 1425-1445 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Schmitt ◽  
B. Seth ◽  
M. Bock ◽  
C. van der Veen ◽  
L. Möller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Isotope Ratio ◽  
Stable Carbon Isotope ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Mass Spectrometric Measurement ◽  
Broad Signal ◽  
Carbon Isotope Analysis ◽  
Singly Charged

Abstract. Stable carbon isotope analysis of methane (δ13C of CH4) on atmospheric samples is one key method to constrain the current and past atmospheric CH4 budget. A frequently applied measurement technique is gas chromatography (GC) isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) coupled to a combustion-preconcentration unit. This report shows that the atmospheric trace gas krypton (Kr) can severely interfere during the mass spectrometric measurement, leading to significant biases in δ13C of CH4, if krypton is not sufficiently separated during the analysis. According to our experiments, the krypton interference is likely composed of two individual effects, with the lateral tailing of the doubly charged 86Kr peak affecting the neighbouring m/z 44 and partially the m/z 45 Faraday cups. Additionally, a broad signal affecting m/z 45 and especially m/z 46 is assumed to result from scattered ions of singly charged krypton. The introduced bias in the measured isotope ratios is dependent on the chromatographic separation, the krypton-to-CH4 mixing ratio in the sample, the focusing of the mass spectrometer as well as the detector configuration and can amount to up to several per mil in δ13C. Apart from technical solutions to avoid this interference, we present correction routines to a posteriori remove the bias.

scholarly journals On the interference of <sup>86</sup>Kr<sup>2+</sup> during carbon isotope analysis of atmospheric methane using continuous flow combustion – isotope ratio mass spectrometry

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1409-1460 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Schmitt ◽  
B. Seth ◽  
M. Bock ◽  
C. van der Veen ◽  
L. Möller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Isotope Ratio ◽  
Stable Carbon Isotope ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Atmospheric Methane ◽  
Mass Spectrometric Measurement ◽  
Carbon Isotope Analysis ◽  
Doubly Charged

Abstract. Stable carbon isotope analysis of methane (δ13C of CH4) on atmospheric samples is one key method to constrain the current and past atmospheric CH4 budget. A frequently applied measurement technique is gas chromatography isotope ratio mass spectrometry coupled to a combustion-preconcentration unit. This report shows that the atmospheric trace gas krypton can severely interfere during the mass spectrometric measurement leading to significant biases in δ13C of CH4 if krypton is not sufficiently separated during the analysis. The effect comes about by the lateral tailing of the peak of doubly charged 86Kr in the neighbouring m/z, 44, 45, and 46 Faraday cups. Accordingly, the introduced bias is dependent on the chromatographic separation, the Kr to CH4 mixing ratio in the sample, the mass spectrometer source tuning as well as the detector configuration and can amount to up to several permil in δ13C. Apart from technical solutions to avoid this interference we present correction routines to a posteriori remove the bias.

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