Rapid powder analysis with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy at low pressure ambient helium gas employing bamboo charcoal as a sample holder

Abstract

Several experiments are performed to explore the possible benefits of using bamboo charcoal as a sample holder for rapid powder analysis using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy at low-pressure helium ambient gas. Standard powdered samples such as ZnS and CuSO4 are used to demonstrate the feasibility of using cheap and widely available bamboo charcoal as a sample holder. A commercial baby milk powder and several sets of soil samples with a tiny amount of impurities are also introduced to show the potential application of bamboo charcoal as a powder holder. By appropriately adjusting the laser pulse energy and the thickness of the powder layer, we successfully obtained a spectrum that is free from the undesirable matrix effect. A remarkable result was obtained, even using a tiny amount of the powder sample. This proposed method is considered notably promising for the rapid analysis of the powder sample, especially with a very limited amount.