Determination of Fifteen Rare-earth Elements in Iron Ores Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry with Microwave Digestion

Matrix interference and co-existent elemental interference are the two key factors necessary to obtain accurate analysis results for Rare earth elements (REEs) in geological samples using the traditional methods. Since Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) is widely conducted in the field of trace element analysis, accurate results of REEs are obtained under optimized conditions. This method was established using ICP-MS to determine 15 REEs and is detailed in this paper. The samples were digested in sealed containers with HCl, HNO₃ and HF at high temperature. The solutions were set into a constant volume. Internal standard solutions of ¹⁰³Rh, ¹¹⁵In and ¹⁸⁵Re were on-line loaded into the sample solution during the measurement. The recovery rates are 95%-104% and the RSDs are less than 3.5%. REEs in 24 representative ore samples from 12 countries were analyzed and are reported in this paper. The results show that importing iron ores are LREEs enrichment type. Currently, imported fine ores are mostly combined with different iron ores from multi productive areas. This provides a technical reference for the comprehensive utilization of rare earth elements in iron ore and pollution control and also provides valuable information on the origin of the iron ore.