Detection of Silica in Rice Husks Using Laser-Induced Plasma and Studying the Effect of Laser Energy on the Parameters of the Produced Plasma

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the spectral properties of plasma produced from rice husk(Rh) using the laser breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) method. The plasma generation process used the fundamental harmonic (1064 nm) of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) is a man-made crystalline material. The laser fired pulses with a duration of 10 ns and a repetition rate of 6 Hz. Thus, the energy outputs achieved were 50–200 mJ at the wavelength of 1064 (nm). The silica content in the rice hulls was verified using an XRF measurement, which revealed the presence of silica in the rice hulls in a high percentage. Precise beam focusing was achieved by focusing the laser on the target material. This target material is placed within an atmospheric environment at standard pressure settings. The electron temperature was derived using the Boltzmann diagram method by harnessing experimental data for the linear properties associated with the neutral lines (Si II), (O II), and ion lines (Si I). The use of analytical methodology led to the determination of electron temperature values from 0.79 eV to 1.16 eV for the fundamental harmonic of the laser. At the same time, the electron (ne) density was determined by analyzing the Stark broadening profile associated with the neutral silica line. Furthermore, the study included an additional dimension by determining the plasma properties (electron temperature and electron density) by adjusting the laser energy on the target surface longitudinally along the path of the plasma plume.