The Sr–Nd isolation procedure for subsequent isotopic analysis using multi-collector ICP-mass spectrometry in the context of provenance studies on archaeological glass

Abstract

Sr and Nd isotopic analysis of glass can be relied upon to unravel the provenance of the flux component and the sand used in the manufacturing of archaeological glasses, respectively. For a reliable isotopic analysis of the target elements using multi-collector ICP-mass spectrometry, the target elements need to be isolated from the matrix to permit adequate correction for instrumental mass discrimination. In this paper, a simple, fast and reliable analytical method for the isolation of Sr and Nd from complex sample matrixes such as archaeological glasses is proposed. Special attention is focused on the Nd isolation protocol, with the definition of TRU-Spec and Ln-Spec resin bed volumes and of an appropriate HCl concentration to optimize Nd elution from the column.