Abstract: | In this study, the USGS black shale reference material SBC‐1 was investigated as a matrix‐matched reference material for both intra‐laboratory calibration and inter‐laboratory comparison of high‐precision Re‐Os dating for organic‐rich sedimentary rocks. This reference material was analysed for Re‐Os isotopic composition by three digestion protocols – inverse aqua regia, CrO3‐H2SO4 and H2O2‐HNO3. The results for SBC‐1 obtained by inverse aqua regia digestion yielded similar Re mass fractions but slightly (~ 5%) higher Os mass fractions and lower 187Os/188Os values than the CrO3‐H2SO4 and H2O2‐HNO3 digestions. The data set of inverse aqua regia digestion exhibited strong correlations in plots of 187Os/188Os vs. 1/192Os and 187Os/188Os vs. 187Re/188Os, which may signify the incorporation of detrital Re and Os into organic matter in the Re‐Os system. Similar correlations were also observed for the CrO3‐H2SO4 digestion data set, but not for that of H2O2‐HNO3. The data indicate that there is an amount of non‐hydrogenous Os in SBC‐1 and that CrO3‐H2SO4 and H2O2‐HNO3 digestions would minimise liberation of the non‐hydrogenous Os component. We propose that SBC‐1 may be a more suitable reference material to monitor the influence of detrital Re and Os on Re‐Os isochron age data, especially for samples with less organic matter and more siliceous detritus. |