Instrument: Multi Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer

A Multi Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) is a type of mass spectrometry where the sample is ionized in a plasma (a partially ionized gas, such as Argon, containing free electrons) that has been generated by electromagnetic induction. A series of collectors is used to detect several ion beams simultaneously.

A MC-ICPMS is a hybrid mass spectrometer that combines the advantages of an inductively coupled plasma source and the precise measurements of a magnetic sector multicollector mass spectrometer. The primary advantage of the MC-ICPMS is its ability to analyze a broader range of elements, including those with high ionization potential that are difficult to analyze by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS). The ICP source also allows flexibility in how samples are introduced to the mass spectrometer and allows the analysis of samples introduced either as an aspirated solution or as an aerosol produced by laser ablation.