Component analysis of bismuth-system superconductor by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry

Elemental analysis of oxide superconductors yields useful information about their properties. As an analytical method, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) is more convenient than spectrophotometry or titrimetry. However, various analytical errors are sometimes included in the procedure of ICP-OES, especially because of spectral and non-spectral interferences. To minimize these errors, the solutions used for calibration curves are ideally prepared by matrix matching with the sample solution. However, it is difficult to obtain the calibrational relation unless standard reagents containing no impurities are obtained, and unless binary alloy samples are analyzed. In this work, instead of a matrix-matching method, a sequential correction method is suggested, where several error factors, such as fluctuation of the emission intensities, spectral interferences, non-spectral interferences and blank values, are individually corrected on the basis of calibration curves prepared with single-element solutions. By using the sequential correction method, we have investigated an ICP-OES total analysis for bismuth-system oxide superconductors.