LASER-INDUCED BREAKDOWN SPECTROSCOPY DEVICE AND USE THEREOF FOR THE ANALYSIS OF CHEMICAL ELEMENTS IN RUBBER

The invention relates to a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopic device for the analysis of chemical elements in rubber, in particular for the analysis of the amount of sulphur and/or zinc in rubber, the device comprising: (a) a double pulse laser configured to irradiate laser light in the visible or ultraviolet range for generating a plasma on the surface of a rubber in ambient conditions (e.g. in air), and (b) a spectrometer (e.g. a grating spectrometer) configured to detect light in the infrared range which is emitted from plasma-excited atoms of the rubber, the spectrometer comprising a detector (e.g. a CCD chip) being capable of time-resolved detection of light in the infrared range. The invention further relates to a method for the evaluation of measured spectra and the quantitative analysis of a chemical element in rubber by using the said laser-induced breakdown spectroscopic device. The device and the method of said invention are applicable to "in-line" measurements in the industrial production of rubber.