Spectral interferences in the determination of traces of scandium, yttrium and rare earth elements in 'pure' rare earth matrices by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Part V - gadolinium and erbium

The present article is the fifth part of a series of papers discussing the spectral interferences of rare earth elements (REEs) in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) The spectral interferences in the presence of gadolinium or erbium as interferents for 200-pm wide windows centered (+/- 100 pm) around the prominent lines of scandium, yttrium and REEs were investigated. The quantification of the interferences in terms of Q-value for line interference Q(I)(lambda(a)) and Q values for wing background interference Q(W)(Delta lambda(a)) was used in accordance with Boumans and Vrakking [Spectrochim. Acta Part B 42 (1987) 819; 43 (1188) 69]. The excitation temperature, T-exc = 6200 K was chosen as the optimal in the determination of traces of RREs in Gd2O3 ad Er2O3, respectively. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.