ICP-OES Analysis for Silicone Rubber

Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) is a precise analytical technique for detecting and quantifying trace elements in materials like silicone rubber. This report covers the use of ICP-OES to analyze silicone rubber, ensuring compliance with safety standards such as EN 71-3:2019 and California Proposition 65.

✅ Want to understand the full scope of how we test silicone products?
Read our Advanced Testing Methods for Silicone for complete insight.

Principle of Operation: ICP-OES Analysis

ICP-OES works by ionizing the sample with plasma and measuring the emitted light at specific wavelengths. The light’s intensity indicates the concentration of elements in the sample.

Sample Preparation

Silicone rubber samples are prepared and digested with acids to dissolve the matrix. These digested samples are then analyzed using ICP-OES.

Elements Analyzed in Silicone Rubber with ICP-OES

Aluminum (Al)
Antimony (Sb)
Arsenic (As)
Barium (Ba)
Boron (B)
Cadmium (Cd)
Chromium (Cr)
Cobalt (Co)
Copper (Cu)
Lead (Pb)
Manganese (Mn)
Mercury (Hg)
Nickel (Ni)
Selenium (Se)
Strontium (Sr)
Tin (Sn)
Zinc (Zn)

Standards and Limits

The analysis follows standards like EN 71-3:2019 for toy safety and California Proposition 65 for consumer product safety. These standards set maximum allowable limits for various elements.

ICP-OES Analysis Example Results

Below are summarized ICP-OES results for compliance with EN 71-3:2019:

Element Tested	Result (mg/kg)	MDL (mg/kg)	Limit (mg/kg)
Aluminum (Al)	N.D.	50	70000
Antimony (Sb)	N.D.	50	560
Arsenic (As)	N.D.	50	47
Barium (Ba)	N.D.	0.2	18750
Boron (B)	N.D.	0.002	15000
Cadmium (Cd)	N.D.	50	17
Chromium (III)	N.D.	5	460
Chromium (VI)	N.D.	9	0.053
Cobalt (Co)	N.D.	2	130
Copper (Cu)	N.D.	0.05	7700
Lead (Pb)	N.D.	50	23
Manganese (Mn)	N.D.	50	15000
Mercury (Hg)	N.D.	50	94
Nickel (Ni)	N.D.	50	930
Selenium (Se)	N.D.	50	460
Strontium (Sr)	N.D.	50	56000
Tin (Sn)	N.D.	50	180000
Zinc (Zn)	N.D.	50	46000