Elemental analysis and characterization of electrical tape backings by LA-ICP-MS

•A novel LA-ICP-MS method was evaluated for the chemical characterization and comparison of electrical tape backings.•LA-ICP-MS provided improved discrimination (93.9%) when compared with SEM-EDS (87.3%).•LA-ICP-MS represents a quick, sensitive, and selective method for the elemental analysis of tape evidence.•The elemental menu for the analysis of tapes increased to 29 elements by using LA-ICP-MS.•The numerical nature of the data generated is amenable for the creation of a searchable database.