Abstract
The purpose of this study is the determination of rare earth elements(REEs) in coal by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) after digestion by microwave irradiation. Determination of REEs by ICP-MS shows several spectroscopic overlaps from M+, MO+ and MOH+ ions. Especially, the spectroscopic interfaces are observed from the atomic and molecular species of lighter rare earth elements and Ba during the determination of Eu Gd and Tb In this study, mathematical correction methods that based the at.% abundances of different interfering isotopes and the extent of formation of molecular species determined experimentally have been used to account for various spectroscopic interferences. These methods were well applied to the determination of trace amounts of REEs in various coals.
