A Minimally Destructive Multi-Element Sensing Technique for Metal Alloys by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

In this work, simultaneous multi-element analyses for aluminum and stainless steel alloys using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) were reported with special emphasis on the destructiveness of target that is seldom deliberated in similar analysis. Sample damage was qualified by images of craters. By non-destructive single laser pulse of 0.7 mJ, 285.2- and 288.2-nm lines for Mg and Si were seen with noticeable signal-to-noise ratio of 23 and 11, respectively by ablation of aluminum alloy, but no visible damage was observed. Moreover, the limits of detection for Na, Mg, Si, and Cu are as good as 0.6, 2.1, 15.3, and 8.5 μg/g respectively in aluminum alloys. As such, LIBS was demonstrated to be a practical sensing technique for minimally destructive analysis of sample with numerous elements.