ABSTRACT

Eleven of the rare earth elements (lanthanide series) have been determined in fifteen Geological Survey of Japan igneous reference samples by high performance ion chromatography (HPIC). Multiple analysis of each reference sample was undertaken to provide the best possible data. The technique, which employs chelating agents to permit the separation of individual rare-earth elements as anionic complexes, has a reproducibility of <4%. With the use of on-line sample solution concentration, detection limits of 0.1 ppb were possible, enabling the satisfactory analysis of rare-earth element impoverished samples such as feldspars JF-1 and JF-2, and peridotite JP-1. The results for the very well characterised sample JB-1 are in close agreement with published recommended values. Whereas our results for JG-1 and thirteen currently available members of the second “Igneous rock series” are generally in broad agreement with published values, in a majority of cases there are significant differences in one or more elements. In each case where significant discrepancy exists, the smooth and highly coherent patterns of the HPIC data when plotted on chondrite-normalised rare-earth element diagrams, contrasts with the more erratic patterns for the published values, suggesting the likely greater accuracy of the HPIC data.