The use of reference materials in isotope measurements (Invited)

Over the last few decades, mass spectrometry has emerged as one of the most important tools for chemical analysis. Isotope measurements on modern mass spectrometers have achieved unprecedented repeatability due to the semi-automated nature and stability. As a consequence of these high precisions, one of the most important factors for improving the total uncertainty of the measurement results is associated with the reference materials used for calibration. Different metrological concepts have been developed to deal with this problem. This talk will examine the impact of these concepts involving reference materials on the uncertainty budget, traceability and comparability of the results.