Quasi-Non-Destructive Multi-Element Characterization of Polymer Materials for 3D-Printed Firearms by Liquid Microjunction Sampling into Inductively Coupled lasma Mass Spectrometry (LMJ-ICPMS)
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    Abstract:

    In this proof-of-concept study, liquid microjunction inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LMJ-ICPMS) was used as a localized, quasi-non-destructive approach for the qualitative trace elemental characterization of polymer materials relevant to forensic investigations involving 3 dimensions (3D)-printed firearms. Blue nylon glass-fibre-reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6-GF), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), and polylactic acid (PLA) were analyzed using a custom LMJ sampling interface coupled to quadrupole-based ICPMS. Measurable transient signals were obtained for multiple elements directly from polymer surfaces, demonstrating the capability of LMJ sampling to recover and transport trace elemental constituents with minimal sample preparation and limited surface disruption. Distinct normalized elemental profiles were observed between PA6-GF and PETG, with PETG exhibiting higher relative abundances of Mg, Ca, Ti, and Sr, whereas PA6-GF exhibited elevated Ba. Complete separation between PA6-GF and PETG was achieved using Ti/Mg and Ba/Ca elemental ratios, while targeted and untargeted principal component analyses demonstrated distinct clustering based on selected elemental markers and the broader elemental profile, respectively. The first two principal components of the targeted analysis accounted for 97.7% of the total variance. Addition of 2% (v/v) methanol (MeOH) to the 2% (v/v) nitric acid (HNO3) sampling solvent improved elemental recovery of PLA, enabling multivariate differentiation of PA6-GF, PETG, and PLA, with the first two principal components accounting for 97.0% of the total variance. These results demonstrate the applicability of LMJ-ICPMS for qualitative elemental profiling and differentiation of polymer materials, while highlighting the importance of solvent optimization for extending the approach to chemically distinct polymer systems.

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Jordan Chiabai, Diane Beauchemin*. Quasi-Non-Destructive Multi-Element Characterization of Polymer Materials for 3D-Printed Firearms by Liquid Microjunction Sampling into Inductively Coupled lasma Mass Spectrometry (LMJ-ICPMS)[J]. Atomic Spectroscopy,2026,47(4):499-506.

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  • Online: August 14,2026
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