Quantitative carbon measurement in anthracite using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy with binder

Abstract

Quantitative carbon measurement in anthracites remains difficult with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) due to its relatively high measurement uncertainty. To improve the measurement repeatability, binders to bind the anthracite powder together were utilized for LIBS measurement. Results showed that the optimized binder Na(2)SiO(3)·9H(2)O, with Si from the binder as the internal calibration element, can yield the overall best measurement precision and accuracy. Using 15 anthracites for calibration and 7 anthracites for validation and with optimized percentage of Na(2)SiO(3)·9H(2)O as binder, the average value of the measurement's relative standard deviation (RSD), R(2), and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) were 12.1%, 0.76, and 6.25%, respectively, proving the applicability of binder for carbon measurement in anthracites.