Corning archeological reference glasses A, B, C, and D have been made to simulate different historic technologies of glass production and are used as standards in historic glass investigations. In this work, nanoseconds (193, 266 nm) and femtosecond (800 nm) laser ablation were used to study the elemental composition of Corning glasses using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The determined concentrations of 26 oxides (Li₂O, B₂O₃, Na₂O, MgO, Al₂O₃, SiO₂, P₂O₅, K₂O, CaO, TiO₂, V₂O₅, Cr₂O₃, MnO, Fe₂O₃, CoO, NiO, CuO, ZnO, Rb₂O, SrO, ZrO₂, SnO₂, Sb₂O₅, BaO, PbO, Bi₂O₃) are compared with values reported in the literature. Results show variable discrepancies between the data, with the largest differences found for Cr₂O₃ in Corning A; Li₂O, B₂O₃, and Cr₂O₃ in Corning B; and MnO, Sb₂O₅, Cr₂O₃, and Bi₂O₃ in Corning C. The best agreement between the measured and literature values was found for Corning D. However, even for this reference, glass re-evaluation of the data was necessary and new values for PbO, BaO, and Bi₂O₃ are proposed. The results of Corning glasses obtained by LA-ICP-MS after ablation by different laser wavelenghts presented as the ratios of the measured to the recommended values

Accurate determination of elements in various kinds of samples is essential for many areas, including environmental science, medicine, as well as industry. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a powerful tool enabling multi-elemental analysis of numerous matrices with high sensitivity and good precision. Various calibration approaches can be used to perform accurate quantitative measurements by ICP-MS. They include the use of pure standards, matrix-matched standards, or relevant certified reference materials, assuring traceability of the reported results. This review critically evaluates the advantages and limitations of different calibration approaches, which are used in quantitative analyses by ICP-MS. Examples of such analyses are provided.This article is part of the themed issue ‘Quantitative mass spectrometry’.