Low-level calibration study for a new ion chromatographic column to determine borate in deionized water

In the semiconductor industry, there is interest in determining borate at sub-ppb levels in ultrapure water, since borate is an early breakthrough ion from ion-exchange resin beds. Although dissolved silica is the most common species currently used to monitor the breakdown of the deionization systems, it is thought that borate probably breaks through earlier than silicate. To be of use as an early-warning indicator, borate must be determined at ppt levels. This paper discusses benchtop results with several new column products designed to deliver low-ppt detection limits for boron as borate. The system uses a prototype borate-specific concentrator column that is coupled to an ion-exclusion separator and suppressed-conductivity detection. The acidic eluent, containing mannitol, quantitatively elutes the borate from the concentrator. The analytical separation is performed using a specially designed ion-exclusion column. Data presented are from two multilevel calibration studies. Included is a discussion of detection-limit calculations and recommended formats for reporting results.