Study of the matrix effect on the plasma characterization of six elements in aluminum alloys using LIBS with a portable Echelle spectrometer

Abstract

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been applied to perform a study of the matrix effect on the plasma characterization of Fe, Mg, Be, Si, Mn, and Cu in aluminum alloy targets. The generated plasma emissions due to focusing of a 100 mj Nd: YAG pulsed laser at 1064 nm at the target surface were detected using a portable Echelle spectrometer with intensified CCD camera. Spectroscopic analysis of plasma evolution of laser produced plasmas has been characterized in terms of their spectra, electron density Ne and electron temperature Te assuming the LTE and optically thin plasma conditions. The obtained average values of Te and Ne were 7600K and 31017 cm3, respectively, for the six elements in the aluminum alloy samples. The electron density increases with the element concentration while the plasma temperature does not has significance change with concentration. For industrial applications, LIBS with the portable Echelle spectrometer could be applied in the on-line production control that following up elemental concentration in metals and pharmaceuticals by only measuring Ne.