TY - JOUR A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. T1 - Mass and mole fractions in calibration-free LIBS JF - Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry N2 - This technical note highlights the fact that CF-LIBS algorithms work in mole fractions, while results of spectrochemical analysis are usually reported in mass fractions or mass percent. Ignoring this difference and not converting mole fractions to mass fractions can lead to errors in reported concentrations determined by the CF-LIBS method and inadequate comparison of these concentrations with certified concentrations. Here, the key points of the CF-LIBS algorithm are reproduced and the formulae for converting a mole fraction to a mass fraction and vice versa are given. Several numerical examples are also given, which show that the greater the difference between the molar mass of an individual element in a sample and the average molar mass, the greater the discrepancy between the mole and mass fractions. KW - Spectroscopy KW - Analytical Chemistry KW - LIBS KW - Calibration PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-598611 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d4ja00028e SN - 0267-9477 VL - 39 IS - 4 SP - 1030 EP - 1032 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-59861 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. T1 - Extension of the Boltzmann plot method for multiplet emission lines JF - Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer N2 - The Boltzmann plot method is widely used to determine the temperature of laser induced plasma. It involves the use of individual lines that are not easy to find in complex spectra and/or in the spectral range available. If the number of such lines is not enough to build a reliable Boltzmann plot, overlapping lines are often used, which are separated by software. However, line separation is a rather imprecise procedure, which, in addition, requires significant computational costs. This study proposes an extension of the Boltzmann plot method that allows a specific group of unresolved lines to be included in a Boltzmann plot without the need to separate them. This group of lines are multiplets, lines of the same element with similar upper and lower transition states. The multiplet lines along with the individual lines are included in the algorithm, which also includes a correction for self-absorption and is used to determine the plasma temperature. The algorithm is tested on synthetic spectra which are consistent with the model of a homogeneous isothermal plasma in local thermodynamic equilibrium and is shown to be superior to the standard Boltzmann plot method both in more accurate determination of the plasma temperature and in a significant reduction in the computational time. The advantages and disadvantages of the method are discussed in the context of its applications in laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. KW - LIBS KW - Spectroscopy KW - Boltzmann plot KW - Multiplet KW - Spectral overlap PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2023.108741 SN - 1879-1352 VL - 310 SP - 1 EP - 5 PB - Elsevier AN - OPUS4-58058 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Klewe, Tim A1 - Kruschwitz, Sabine T1 - Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy to investigate the chemical composition of concrete N2 - Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a spectroscopic method for detecting the chemical composition of optically accessible surfaces. In principle, the measurement of all elements of the periodic table is possible. System calibrations allow the quantification of element concentrations. In combination with scanner systems, the two-dimensional element distribution can be determined. Even rough surfaces can be measured by online adjustment of the laser focus. To detect element ingress into the concrete, typically cores are taken, cut in half, and LIBS measurements are performed on the cross-section. The high spatial resolution as well as the simultaneous multi-element analysis enables a separate evaluation of the binder-matrix and aggregates. Therefore, the element concentrations can be determined directly related to the cement paste. LIBS measurements are applicable in the laboratory, on-site and also over a distance of several meters. Common applications include the investigation of material deterioration due to the ingress of harmful ions and their interaction in porous building materials. LIBS is able to provide precise input parameters for simulation and modelling of the remaining lifetime of a structure. Besides the identification of materials, also their composition can be determined on hardened concrete, such as the type of cement or type of aggregate. This also involves the identification of environmentally hazardous elements contained in concrete. Another possible application is the detection of the composition of material flows during dismantling. Non-contact NDT for “difficult to assess” structures as an example application through safety glass or in combination with robotics and automation are also possible. This work presents the state of the art concerning LIBS investigations on concrete by showing exemplary laboratory and on-site applications. T2 - NDE NucCon 2023 CY - Espoo, Finland DA - 25.01.2023 KW - LIBS KW - Concrete PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57323 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Klewe, Tim A1 - Kruschwitz, Sabine T1 - Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to investigate the chemical composition of concrete T2 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Non-destructive Evaluation of Concrete in Nuclear Applications N2 - Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a spectroscopic method for the analysis of the chemical composition of sample materials. Generally, the measurement of all elements of the periodic table is possible. In particular, light elements such as H, Li, Be, S, C, O, N and halogens can be measured. Calibration with matrix-matching standards allows the quantification of element concentrations. In combination with scanner systems, the two-dimensional element distribution can be determined. Even rough surfaces can be measured by online adjustment of the laser focus. LIBS can also be used on-site with mobile systems. Hand-held systems are available for point measurements. Common applications include the investigation of material deterioration due to the ingress of harmful ions and their interaction in porous building materials. Due to the high spatial resolution of LIBS and the consideration of the heterogeneity of concrete, the determination of precise input parameters for simulation and modelling of the remaining lifetime of a structure is possible. In addition to the identification of materials, it is also possible to assess the composition for example of hardened concrete, which involves the cement or aggregate type used. Other important fields of application are the detection of environmentally hazardous elements or the material classification for sorting heterogeneous material waste streams during dismantling. Non-contact NDT for “difficult to assess” structures as an example application through safety glass or in combination with robotics and automation are also possible. In this work, an overview of LIBS investigations on concrete is given based on exemplary laboratory and on-site applications. T2 - NDE NucCon 2023 CY - Espoo, Finland DA - 25.01.2023 KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Chemical analysis PY - 2023 UR - https://www.aalto.fi/en/nde-nuccon-2023 SP - 351 EP - 359 AN - OPUS4-57303 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. T1 - Investigation of a method for the correction of self-absorption by Planck function in laser induced breakdown spectroscopy JF - Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry N2 - The electron density and temperature of a laser-induced plasma can be determined from the width and intensity of the spectral lines, provided that the corresponding optical transitions are optically thin. However, the lines in laser induced plasma are often self-absorbed. One of the methods of correction of this effect is based on the use of the Planck function and an iterative numerical calculation of the plasma temperature. In this study, the method is further explored and its inherent errors and limitations are evaluated. For this, synthetic spectra are used that fully correspond to the assumed conditions of a homogeneous isothermal plasma at local thermodynamic equilibrium. Based on the error analysis, the advantages and disadvantages of the method are discussed in comparison with other methods of self-absorption correction. KW - LIBS KW - Self-absorption KW - Planck function PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-572677 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D2JA00352J SN - 0267-9477 SP - 1 EP - 6 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-57267 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. A1 - Kratochvilo, L. A1 - Pořízka, P. A1 - Kaiser, J. A1 - Millar, S. A1 - et al., T1 - Interlaboratory comparison for quantitative chlorine analysis in cement pastes with laser induced breakdown spectroscopy JF - Spectrochimica Acta Part B N2 - Concrete structures experience severe damage during service, for example due to pitting corrosion of rebars caused by the ingress of chlorine (Cl) into the porous concrete structure. The ingress can be monitored using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), a recently introduced civil engineering technique used to detect Cl in concrete structures in addition to conventional wet chemistry methods. The key advantages of LIBS are high spatial resolution, which is important when analyzing heterogeneous concrete samples, as well as the almost complete absence of sample preparation. To assess LIBS as a reliable analytical method, its accuracy and robustness must be carefully tested. This paper presents the results of an interlaboratory comparison on the analysis of Cl in cement paste samples conducted by 12 laboratories in 10 countries. Two sets of samples were prepared with Cl content ranging from 0.06 to 1.95 wt% in the training set and 0.23–1.51 wt% in the test set, with additional variations in the type of cement and Cl source (salt type). The overall result shows that LIBS is suitable for the quantification of the studied samples: the average relative error was generally below 15%. The results demonstrate the true status quo of the LIBS method for this type of analysis, given that the laboratories were not instructed on how to perform the analysis or how to process the data. KW - LIBS KW - Interlaboratory comparison KW - Round robin test KW - Cement KW - Chlorine PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2023.106632 SN - 0584-8547 VL - 202 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-57102 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Klewe, Tim A1 - Kruschwitz, Sabine T1 - Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy – A Tool for the Chemical Investigation of Concrete N2 - LIBS is a complementary method to XRF and can detect all elements without the need for vacuum conditions. Automated systems are already commercially available capable of scanning surfaces with a resolution of up to 0.1 mm within a few minutes. In addition to possible applications in R&D, LIBS is also used for practical applications in building materials laboratories and even on-site. In view of ageing infrastructure facilities, a reliable assessment of the condition of concrete structures is of increasing interest. For concrete structures, the ingress of potential harmful ions is affecting the serviceability and eventually structural performance. Pitting corrosion induced by penetrating chlorides is the dominant deterioration mechanism. Condition assessment based on frequently performed chloride profiling can be useful to identify the extent and evolution of chloride ingress. This could prove to be more economical than extensive repairs, especially for important infrastructure facilities. Currently the most common procedure for determining the chloride content is wet chemical analysis with standard resolution of 10 mm. The heterogeneity is not considered. LIBS is an economical alternative for determining the chloride content at depth intervals of 1 mm or less. It provides 2D distributions of multiple elements and can locate spots with higher concentrations. The results are directly correlated to the mass of binder and can also be performed on-site with a mobile LIBS-System. The application of a LIBS-system is presented. Calibration is required for quantitative analysis. Concrete cores were drilled, sliced and analyzed to determine the 2D-distribution of harmful elements. By comparing the chloride ingress and the carbonation, the interaction of both processes can be visualized in a measurement that takes less than 10 minutes for a 50 mm x 100 mm drill core. A leaflet on the use of LIBS for the chloride ingress assessment has been completed. T2 - NDT-CE 2022 - The International Symposium on Nendestructive Testing in Civil Engineering CY - Zurich, Switzerland DA - 16.08.2022 KW - Chlorides KW - Corrosion KW - Imaging KW - Service life KW - Damage assessment KW - LIBS PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56540 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Günther, Tobias T1 - Condition assessment of concrete infrastructure with LIBS N2 - Due to the ageing of the infrastructure facilities, a reliable assessment of the condition of concrete structures is of great interest to plan timely and appropriate measures. In concrete structures, pittingcorrosion of the reinforcement is the predominant deterioration mechanism affecting serviceability and eventually structural performance. Determination of quantitative chloride ingress is not only necessary to obtain valuable information on the current condition of a structure, but the data obtained can also be used to predict future developments and the associated risks. An overview of the progress and the possibilities of the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for concrete analysis in daily civil engineering practice is given. High-resolution 2D measurements of drill cores to determine the penetration of harmful species into concrete is presented. Furthermore, the application of a mobile LIBS system in a parking garage is shown. The system consists of a diode-pumped low-energy laser (3 mJ, 1.5 ns, 100 Hz) and a compact NIR spectrometer. A scanner allows two-dimensional element mapping. Progress towards the establishment of LIBS in a leaflet for the analysis of chlorine ingress into concrete in civil engineering is presented. T2 - Euro-Mediterranean Symposium on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy 2021 CY - Gijón, Spain DA - 29.11.2021 KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Chlorine KW - Civil engineering PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-56536 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Application of LIBS in civil engineering – status, trends and challenges N2 - The main application of LIBS in civil engineering is the detection of harmful ions in concrete, which can penetrate the component through the porous concrete structure. The advantages of LIBS over standard methods are the possibility of multi-element analysis, measurement speed, spatially resolved measurements, and minimal sample preparation. The spatially resolved measurements of LIBS allow the assessment of the heterogeneity of the concrete by measuring separately the chemical composition of the aggregates and the binder matrix. The latter is particularly relevant because the determined elemental distribution can be directly related to the binder matrix. This is not possible with standard methods, since the material is homogenized to powder during sample preparation stage and the determined concentration is thus related to the total mass. In addition to the use of LIBS for the specific analysis of individual harmful ions, LIBS can also be used to estimate the concrete composition and thus determine, for example, the type of cement used. Corresponding information are relevant for the estimation of the remaining service life and for the preparation of a maintenance concept. In recent years, LIBS has been increasingly used in civil engineering. Currently, however, it is primarily used in research institutions and only occasionally in building materials laboratories. Special commercial devices have also been developed, which greatly simplify the application due to the high degree of automation. Mobile LIBS systems allow on-site application. A central point, which limits the use of LIBS in the commercial sector, is the lack of norms and standards. Therefore, within the framework of a project funded by the German government, work has been carried out on the preparation of a leaflet on quantitative chlorine determination in concrete, which will be published this year. In interlaboratory comparisons the robustness and accuracy for the practical application was demonstrated. LIBS also has great potential in the recycling of construction waste in conjunction with hyperspectral sensors. This issue is currently being addressed in a national project. During the presentation, the state of the art of LIBS in civil engineering will be presented, next steps will be discussed, and future challenges will be outlined. T2 - XII international conference on laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS 2022) CY - Bari, Italy DA - 04.09.2022 KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Chlorine KW - Civil engineering PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56535 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Klewe, Tim A1 - Kruschwitz, Sabine T1 - Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy – A Tool for Imaging the Chemical Composition of Concrete T2 - ICCRRR 2022 Book of extended abstracts N2 - One of the most common causes of damage is the ingress of harmful ions into the concrete, which can lead to deterioration processes and affect structural performance. Therefore, the increasingly aging infrastructure is regularly inspected to assess durability. Regular chemical analysis can be useful to determine the extent and evolution of ion ingress and to intervene in a timely manner. This could prove more economical than extensive repairs for major damage, particularly for critical infrastructure. In addition to already established elemental analysis techniques in civil engineering such as potentiometric titration or X-ray fluorescence analysis, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) can provide further important complementary information and benefits. The possibilities of LIBS are demonstrated using the example of a drill core taken from a parking garage. T2 - 6th International Conference on Concrete Repair, Rehabilitation and Retrofitting CY - Kapstadt, South Africa DA - 03.10.2022 KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Chlorine PY - 2022 UR - https://iccrrr2022.org/downloads SP - 126 EP - 127 AN - OPUS4-56062 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Klewe, Tim A1 - Kruschwitz, Sabine T1 - Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy A Tool for Imaging the Chemical Composition of Concrete N2 - One of the most common causes of damage is the ingress of harmful ions into the concrete, which can lead to deterioration processes and affect structural performance. Therefore, the increasingly aging infrastructure is regularly inspected to assess durability. Regular chemical analysis can be useful to determine the extent and evolution of ion ingress and to intervene in a timely manner. This could prove more economical than extensive repairs for major damage, particularly for critical infrastructure. In addition to already established elemental analysis techniques in civil engineering such as potentiometric titration or X-ray fluorescence analysis, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) can provide further important complementary information and benefits. The possibilities of LIBS are demonstrated using the example of a drill core taken from a parking garage. T2 - 6th International Conference on Concrete Repair, Rehabilitation and Retrofitting CY - Cape Town, South Africa DA - 03.10.2022 KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Cement KW - Chlorine PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56061 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schwarz, W. A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Katsumi, N. A1 - Ebell, Gino A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Ion distribution in concrete overlay, mapped by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), modified by an embedded zinc anode JF - MATEC web of conferences N2 - Galvanic corrosion protection by embedded zinc anodes is an accepted technique for the corrosion protection of reinforcing steel in concrete. Galvanic currents flow between the zinc anode and the steel reinforcement due to the potential difference that is in the range of a few hundred mV. The ion distribution was studied on two steel reinforced concrete specimens admixed with 3 wt.% chloride/wt. cement and galvanically protected by a surface applied EZ-anode. On both specimens, a zinc anode was embedded and glued to the concrete surface by a geo-polymer-based chloride-free binder. At one specimen, the EZ-anode was operated for 2,5 years, the EZ-anode at the other specimen was not electrically connected to the reinforcement, this specimen serves as a reference. Both specimens have been stored under identical conditions. The ion distribution between the anode (EZ-ANODE) and cathode (steel reinforcement) was studied by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) after 7 months, 12 months, and 2,5 years. Results of the LIBS studies on the specimen with activated EZ-anode after 7 months, 12 months, and 2,5 years and of the reference specimen after 2,5 years are reported. Results show that diffusion of ions contributes to the changes in the ion distribution but migration, especially of chlorides towards the EZ-anode is significant despite the weak electric field – several hundred millivolts - generated by the galvanic current. Results show that chloride ions accumulate near the zinc-anode as in water-insoluble zinc-hydroxy chlorides - Simonkollite. T2 - ICCRRR 2022 CY - Capetown, South Africa KW - Corrosion KW - LIBS KW - Zinc KW - Anode PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-560576 DO - https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/202236404023 SN - 2261-236X VL - 364 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis AN - OPUS4-56057 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schwarz, W. A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Katsumi, N. A1 - Ebell, Gino A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Ion distribution in concrete overlay, mapped by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), modified by an embedded zinc anode N2 - Galvanic corrosion protection by embedded zinc anodes is an accepted technique for the corrosion protection of reinforcing steel in concrete. Galvanic currents flow between the zinc anode and the steel reinforcement due to the potential difference that is in the range of a few hundred mV. The ion distribution was studied on two steel reinforced concrete specimens admixed with 3 wt.% chloride/wt. cement and galvanically protected by a surface applied EZ-anode. On both specimens, a zinc anode was embedded and glued to the concrete surface by a geo-polymer-based chloride-free binder. At one specimen, the EZ-anode was operated for 2,5 years, the EZ-anode at the other specimen was not electrically connected to the reinforcement, this specimen serves as a reference. Both specimens have been stored under identical conditions. The ion distribution between the anode (EZ-anode) and cathode (steel reinforcement) was studied by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) after 7 months, 12 months, and 2,5 years. Results of the LIBS studies on the specimen with activated EZ-anode after 7 months, 12 months, and 2,5 years and of the reference specimen after 2,5 years are reported. Results show that diffusion of ions contributes to the changes in the ion distribution but migration, especially of chlorides towards the EZ-anode is significant despite the weak electric field – several hundred millivolts - generated by the galvanic current. Results show that chloride ions accumulate near the zinc-anode as in water-insoluble zinc-hydroxy chlorides - Simonkolleit. T2 - ICCRRR 2022 CY - Capetown, South Africa DA - 03.10.2022 KW - Korrosion KW - Corrosion KW - LIBS KW - Zinc PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55948 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Klewe, Tim A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Kruschwitz, Sabine T1 - Application of LIBS to identify construction and demolition waste for circular economy N2 - Responsible treatment of the environment and resources is a key element of sustainability. The building and construction industry is one of the largest consumers of natural resources. Consequently, there is a particular need for regulations and technologies that help to create closed material cycles. From the technological point of view, such efforts are complicated by the growing material diversity and the amount of composites contained in present and future construction and demolition waste (CDW). Nowadays, simple but proven techniques like manual sorting are mainly used. However, this practice not only poses health risks and dangers to the staff performing the work, but also relies on merely obvious, visually striking differences. Automated, sensor-based sorting of these building materials could complement or replace this practice to improve processing speed, recycling rates, sorting quality, and prevailing health conditions. The preliminary results for the identification of a wide variety of building materials with LIBS are presented. T2 - XII Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS 2022) CY - Bari, Italy DA - 04.09.2022 KW - LIBS KW - Construction and demolition waste KW - Circular economy PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55679 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. A1 - Millar, S. A1 - Licht, M. T1 - Interlaboratory comparison for quantitative chlorine analysis in cement pastes with LIBS N2 - Concrete structures often show severe damage during their lifetime. One such damage is pitting corrosion of the steel reinforcement caused by chloride ingress into the porous concrete structure. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a promising method in civil engineering, which is used for detection of chlorine in concrete structures in addition to conventional methods of wet chemistry. To assess LIBS as a trustful analytical technique, its accuracy and robustness is carefully tested. The presentation will outline the results of the interlaboratory comparison of chlorine quantification in cement paste samples, which was carried out by 12 laboratories in 10 countries. Two sets of samples with chloride content ranging from 0.06-1.95 wt.% in the training set and 0.23-1.51 wt.% in the test sample set (“unknowns”), with additional variations in the type of cement and chlorine source (salt type) were sent to the laboratories. The overall result demonstrates that LIBS is suitable for the quantification of the investigated sample compositions: average relative bias was mostly below 15 %. Considering that the laboratories did not receive instructions on how to perform the analysis or how to process the data, the results can be evaluated as a true status quo of the LIBS technique for this type of analysis. T2 - XII Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS 2022) CY - Bari, Italy DA - 04.09.2022 KW - LIBS KW - Chlorine KW - Cement pastes KW - Interlaboratory comparison PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55680 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gottlieb, C. A1 - Heilmann, D. A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Bohling, C. T1 - Optimization of LIBS experiments using Design of experiment (DoE) N2 - To conduct a reliable, repeatable and accurate LIBS analysis, the optimization of the experimental setup is an important task. Hardware parameters of lasers and spectrometers used in the setup as well as additionally required components such as optics or process gas pipes must be carefully aligned and adjusted because factors like (i) focal conditions of the optics, (ii) alignment of the sample, (iii) process purge gas (types, flow rate) or (iv) measurement settings (integration time, accumulation of pulses) have a big impact on the signal quality. Therefore, in most cases the effect of different factors is evaluated empirically due to changing one factor at a time while keeping the overall configuration the same. In the end, the optimal configuration is selected based on the best parameters for each influencing factor. During optimization, a configuration of the experimental setup is aimed at, which allows e.g. the highest signal intensity or the lowest variation. In most cases, cross-correlation, interference and interaction among the various factors are not considered. For this reason, the possibilities of using Design of Experiment (DoE) to optimize a LIBS experiment will be shown and advantages of (i) reduction of testing plans using a feature space, (ii) identifying and considering cross-correlations and interactions, (iii) evaluating individual impacts on the measurement (e.g. contour and surface plots) as well as (iv) multivariate models for prediction of impacts will be presented. T2 - 11th Euro-Mediterranean Symposium on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (EMSLIBS) CY - Online meeting DA - 29.11.2021 KW - LIBS KW - Chlorine KW - DoE PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53899 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Millar, S. A1 - Licht, M. A1 - Wilsch, Gerd T1 - Round robin test for chloride analysis in cement pastes with LIBS N2 - In civil engineering, clear regulations and standards, such as the European standard DIN EN 206 apply to ensure that the existing infrastructure is sufficiently resistant to a wide range of exposure conditions. Despite these regulations, in practice concrete structures often show severe damage during their service life. One of these damages is pitting corrosion of the reinforcement, which can be caused by chloride ingress into the structure. Therefore, determining the distribution and depth of chloride ingress is important in predicting the service life. LIBS provides an alternative method to conventional wet chemistry in civil engineering. Despite many advantages, the use of LIBS has been severely limited due to a lack of regulations. Together with project partners from research and industry, we are currently working on a leaflet that will regulate chloride analysis in civil engineering using LIBS. This year, an international round robin test was organized to evaluate the performance of LIBS for chloride analysis in cement pastes. No specifications were given for the experimental LIBS setup and data evaluation. The preliminary results are presented. T2 - 11th Euro-Mediterranean Symposium on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (EMSLIBS) CY - Online meeting DA - 29.11.2021 KW - LIBS KW - Cement KW - Chloride KW - Round robin KW - Interlaboratory comparison PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53898 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gottlieb, Cassian A1 - Bohling, Christian A1 - Wilsch, Gerd T1 - New possibilities for concrete analysis 4.0 with the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) JF - The e-journal of nondestructive testing & ultrasonics N2 - In civil engineering the damage assessment of concrete infrastructures is an important task to monitor and ensure the estimated life-time. The aging of concrete is caused by different damage processes like the chloride induced pitting corrosion of the reinforcement. The penetration depth and the concentration of harmful species are crucial factors in the damage assessment. As a highly cost and time-consuming standard procedure, the analysis of concrete drill cores or drilling by wet-chemistry is widely used. This method provides element concentration to the total mass as aggregates and binder are homogenized. In order to provide a method that is capable to detect the element concentration regarding the cement content only, the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) will be presented. The LIBS method uses a focused pulsed laser on the sample surface to ablate material. The high-power density and the laser-material interaction causes a laser-induced plasma that emits elemental and molecular line emission due to energy transition of the excited species in the plasma during the cooling phase. As each element provides element-specific line emission, it is in principle possible to detect any element on the periodic table (spectroscopic fingerprint) with one laser shot. In combination with a translation stage the sample under investigation can be spatially resolved using a scan raster with a resolution up to 100 µm (element mapping). Due to the high spatial resolution, the element distribution and the heterogeneity of the concrete can be evaluated. By using chemometrics the non-relevant aggregates can be excluded from the data set and the element concentration can be quantified and referred to a specific solid phase like the binding matrix (cement) only. In order to analyze transport processes like diffusion and migration the twodimensional element distributions can provide deep insight into the transport through the pore space and local enrichments of elements. As LIBS is a multi-elemental method it is also possible to compare the ingress and transport process of different elements like Cl, Na, K, S, C, and Li simultaneously and evaluate cross-correlations between the different ions. Furthermore, the element mapping allows to visualize the transport along cracks. This work will show the state of the art in terms of hardware and software for an automated LIBS system as well as different application for a concrete analysis 4.0. Focus will be the application of LIBS for a fast concrete analysis. T2 - SMAR 2019 CY - Potsdam, Germany DA - 27.08.2019 KW - Damage KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Mapping KW - Chlorine PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-517282 UR - https://www.ndt.net/?id=24963 SN - 1435-4934 VL - 25 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - NDT.net CY - Kirchwald AN - OPUS4-51728 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Mobile LIBS system for evaluation of concrete structures on site N2 - Features and application of a mobile LIBS system for evaluation of concrete structures on-site. T2 - EMSLIBS 2019 CY - Brno, Czech Republic DA - 08.09.2019 KW - On-site KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Mapping KW - Evaluation PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-51711 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - LIBS for the analysis of concrete N2 - Special features and examples of using LIBS on concrete. T2 - Workshop on tandem LIBS/LA-ICP-MS CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 18.11.2019 KW - Mobile system KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Damage KW - Chloride KW - Sulphate KW - Mapping PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-51710 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Mobile LIBS-System for condition assesment of concrete structures on-site N2 - Application of a mobile LIBS system for on-site investigation of chemical composition of concrete. T2 - SMAR 2019 CY - Potsdam, Germany DA - 27.08.2019 KW - Mobile system KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Damage KW - Chloride KW - Sulphate KW - Mapping PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-51706 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Fast quantitave chemical analysis of concrete using LIBS N2 - Overview of application of LIBS for the fast and automated quantitative chemical analysis of concrete. T2 - NDT-E Workshop CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 12.06.2019 KW - Sulphate KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Damage KW - Chloride KW - Mapping PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-51704 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Gottlieb, Cassian A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Automated 2D chemical analysis of chloride content in concrete structures N2 - The application of a LIBS system is presented. A diode-pumped low energy laser (3 mJ, 1.5 ns, 100 Hz) and a compact NIR spectrometer are used. A scanner allows the two-dimensional element mapping. For the quantitative analysis calibration of the system is carried out with reference samples in a concentration range of chlorine of 0.05 wt.% to 2.5 wt.%. To determine the 2D distribution of harmful elements (Cl, C), concrete cores were drilled, split and analyzed directly. By comparing the chloride ingress and the carbonation, the interaction of both processes can be visualized in one measurement that takes less than 10 minutes with a drill core of 50 mm x 100 mm. Results obtained were compared and verified with standard measurements. T2 - Concrete Solutions 2019 CY - Cluj Napoca, Romania DA - 30.09.2019 KW - Chloride KW - Beton KW - LIBS KW - Schädigung PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-51703 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Strangfeld, Christoph A1 - Wilsch, Gerd T1 - Identification of type of cement through laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy JF - Construction and Building Materials N2 - The composition of concrete determines its resistance to various degradation mechanisms such as ingress of ions, carbonation or reinforcement corrosion. Knowledge of the composition of the hardened concrete is therefore helpful to assess the remaining service life of an existing structure or evaluate the damage observed during inspections. For example, for most existing concrete structures the type of cement originally used is not known and must therefore be determined afterwards. This paper presents a preliminary study on the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to identify the type of cement. For this purpose, ten different types of cement were investigated. For every type, three cement paste prisms were produced: (i) prisms dried, ground and pressed into tablets, (ii) prisms dried and (iii) prisms untreated. LIBS measurements were performed with a diode-pumped low energy laser (1064 nm, 3 mJ, 1.5 ns, 100 Hz) in combination with two compact spectrometers which cover the UV and NIR spectral range. A reduced subset of spectral features was used to build a classification model based on linear discriminant analysis. The results show that the classification of homogenized pressed cement powder samples provides a high accuracy, however, factors such as a different sample matrix and moisture content can affect the accuracy of the classification. The study demonstrates that LIBS is a promising tool to identify the type of cement. KW - Spectroscopy KW - LIBS KW - Cement KW - Classification KW - Identification PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120345 VL - 258 SP - 120345 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-51157 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gottlieb, Cassian A1 - Gojani, Ardian A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Günster, Jens T1 - Investigation of grain sizes in cement-based materials and their influence on laser-induced plasmas by shadowgraphy and plasma imaging JF - Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy N2 - The effect of particle grain sizes in different cement-based mixtures on the laser-induced plasma evolution is studied using two experimental methods: (i) temporal and spatial evolution of the laser-induced shock wave is investigated using shadowgraphy and two-dimensional plasma imaging, and (ii) temporal and spatial distribution of elements in the plasma is investigated using two-dimensional spectral imaging. This study is motivated by the interest in applying laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for chemical analysis of concrete, and subsequently obtain information related to damage assessment of structures like bridges and parking decks. The distribution of grain sizes is of major interest in civil engineering as for making concrete different aggregate grain sizes defined by a sieving curve (64mm to 0.125 mm) are needed. Aggregates up to a size of 180 μm can be excluded from the data set, therefore only the amount of small aggregates with a grain size below 180 μm must be considered with LIBS. All components of the concrete with a grain size smaller than 0.125mm are related to the flour grain content. Tested samples consisted of dry and hardened cement paste (water-cement ratio w/z=0.5), which served as a reference. Aggregate mixtures were made by adding flour grains (size 40 μm) and silica fume (size 0.1 μm) in different ratios to cement: 10%, 30%, 50% and 60%, all combined to the remaining percentage of dry or hydrated cement. The visualization results show that a dependance in the evolution of the plasma as a function of sample grain size can be detected only in the initial stages of the plasma formation, that is, at the initial 3 μs of the plasma life. Spectral information reveals the elemental distribution of the silicon and calcium in plasma, in both neutral and ionized form. Here also, a significant effect is observed in the first 1 μs of the plasma lifetime. KW - LIBS KW - Cement-based materials KW - Particle size KW - Shadowgraphy KW - Plasma imaging PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2020.105772 VL - 165 SP - 105772 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-50319 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Strangfeld, Christoph A1 - Wilsch, Gerd T1 - Classification of cement pastes with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy N2 - In civil engineering, the investigation of existing infrastructure is of major importance for maintaining and ensuring stability of the structures. To ensure durability, uniform regulations and standards apply e.g. the European standard EN 206-1. In some countries, the EN-standard is supplemented by additional standards, as in Germany with DIN 1045-2. Here, specific application rules are described, e.g. for the cement type, to ensure the resistant to different exposures. Therefore, the knowledge of the materials originally used is important in assessing the condition of existing concrete structure. Unfortunately, these are often unknown and must be determined retrospectively. Therefore, we present the application of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to distinguish between different types of cement. Spectral information’s are used to build a classification model. First, the accuracy of the classification is analyzed on ten pure laboratory cement samples. To investigate possible sources of error, the model was then applied to cement samples with different moisture content. The study shows that LIBS is a promising tool for distinguishing between cement types. For further industrial application, however, factors influencing the LIBS signal must be included to ensure a robust model. T2 - 10th Euro-Mediterranean Symposium on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy CY - Brno, Czech Republic DA - 08.09.2019 KW - Spectroscopy KW - LIBS KW - Cement KW - Classification PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49253 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gulikers, J. A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Wilsch, Gerd T1 - Practical application of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for determination of the chloride content in concrete structures N2 - The relevance of chloride measurements in practice for durability condition assessment and a description of the working principle of LIBS will be given. A comparison of chloride profiles obtained by the common wet chemical analysis and results from LIBS measurements are shown to demonstrate the accuracy of the LIBS-technique. In addition, an example on the extra information resulting from measurements performed with LIBS for improvement of condition assessment and prediction will be shown. T2 - Conference celebrating the Laboratory of Construction Materials (EPFL) Centennial CY - Lausanne, Switzerland DA - 19.08.2018 KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Chlorride KW - Condition assesment PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-47109 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gulikers, J. A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Wilsch, Gerd T1 - Practical application of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for determinafion of the chioride content in concrete structures T2 - CONFERENCE IN HONOR OF Centennial of LABORATORY OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS N2 - This paper will address the relevance of chloride measurements in practice for durability condition assessment and a description of the working principle of LIBS will be given. Examples of chloride profiles obtained by the common wet chemical analysis will be shown and compared with results from LIBS measurements as to demonstrate the accuracy of the LIBS-technique. The latter will be supported by clear graphs. In addition examples on the extra information resulting from measurements performed with LIBS for improvement of condition assessment and prediction will be shown. T2 - CONFERENCE IN HONOR OF Centennial of LABORATORY OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS CY - Lausanne, Switzerland DA - 19.08.2018 KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Chloride KW - Condition assesment PY - 2018 SP - 80 EP - 83 CY - Lausanne AN - OPUS4-47108 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Kruschwitz, Sabine A1 - Wilsch, Gerd T1 - Determination of total chloride content in cement pastes with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) JF - Cement and Concrete Research N2 - The presented work discusses the accuracy of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) in determining the total chloride content in cement pastes. LIBS as an emission spectroscopy method is used to detect simultaneously several elements present in cement-based materials. By scanning surfaces the variability in the spatial distribution of elements can be visualised. However, for a quantification of the results, studies are necessary to characterise possible influences due to the wide variation of the chemical compositions in which cement can occur. It is shown how the calibration can be done, how the calibration samples were produced, and which statistical parameters are necessary to describe the precision of the regression. The performance of LIBS is estimated by detecting chloride in validation samples. Therefore, 55 samples and 7 ets with changing mix ompositions were produced. The presented study deals with possible influences of different mix compositions, ncluding different cations of chloride, varying w/c-ratios and the artial replacement of Portland cement with last furnace slag (50% BFS) and limestone (30% LS). Comparing the LIBS results with otentiometric titration, n accuracy of±0.05 wt%/total has been determined. KW - Spectroscopy KW - LIBS KW - Chloride KW - Quantification KW - Cement PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2018.12.001 SN - 0008-8846 VL - 117 IS - March SP - 16 EP - 22 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-47059 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Gottlieb, Cassian A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Sankat, Nina T1 - Application of LIBS for the chemical investigation of concrete infrastructure N2 - Overview about LIBS applications in civil engineering T2 - Structural Faults + Repair-2018 CY - Edinburgh, UK DA - 15.05.2018 KW - On-site measurements KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Chloride KW - Sulfates PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46948 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Gottlieb, Cassian A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Millar, Steven ED - Forde, Mike T1 - Application of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy T2 - Structural Faults + Repair-2018 N2 - A big part of the infrastructure is made of concrete, which is a multiphase system made of cement, aggregates, water and pores. Concrete is often used in combination with steel as reinforced concrete. Environmental influences, especially the ingress of harmful ions in combination with the ingress of water, trigger different damage processes which reduce the designed lifetime of a structure. The ingress of chlorides from de-icing salt or sea water leads to corrosion of the reinforcement. In addition, the carbonation of the concrete may trigger the corrosion of the reinforcement. The ingress of alkalis from deicing salts may cause the expansion of the amorphous silica aggregates (alkali-silica reaction) through formation of a swelling gel of calcium silicate hydrate if water is present. The ingress of sulphates may cause spalling of the concrete surface due to ettringite formation. For the standard procedure in civil engineering cores are taken, cut in slices, grinded and the obtained homogenized powder is solved in acid and investigated by standard procedures. BAM has developed the LIBS technique for the 2D evaluation of the chemical composition of concrete. The technique is established for automated laboratory use with high numbers of samples to investigate transport processes of harmful species (Cl-, CO2 , SO4 2-and alkalis) in concrete. Information about ingress depth and the quantitative values are important to estimate the remaining lifetime of the infrastructure. LIBS is a surface technique. To get information about the ingress depth, a drill core has to be taken and cut in the middle. The measurements are carried out at the cross section. The main advantages of LIBS are the direct measurement on the surface of the concrete, fast analysis (sample rate 100 Hz) with a spatial resolution of up to 100 µm, the consideration of the heterogeneity of the concrete and the possibility of automated measurements which save a lot of manpower and time. As an example the investigation of ingress profiles for standard diffusion and migration tests in civil engineering takes hours in comparison to just a few minutes using LIBS. At the same time a 2D-evaluation provides information about hot spots of elemental concentration which may not be found by standard methods. The state of the art of LIBS technique for applications in civil engineering will be presented, including typical results of 2D investigation of concrete in laboratory. The performance is also demonstrated by examples for onsite applications using a mobile LIBS system. The road map to standardization is presented as well. T2 - Structural Faults + Repair-2018 CY - Edinburgh, UK DA - 15.05.2018 KW - Sulphate KW - Chloride KW - Concrete KW - LIBS PY - 2018 SN - 0-947644-86-5 DO - https://doi.org/10.25084/sfr.2018.0030 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - University of Edinburgh CY - Edinburgh AN - OPUS4-46947 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Gottlieb, Cassian A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Sankat, Nina T1 - Application of LIBS for the chemical investigation of concrete infrastructure N2 - Concrete is often used in combination with steel as reinforced concrete. Environmental influences, especially the ingress of harmful ions in combination with the ingress of water, trigger different damage processes which reduce the designed lifetime of a structure. The ingress of chlorides from de-icing salt or sea water leads to corrosion of the reinforcement. Also the carbonation of the concrete may trigger the corrosion of the reinforcement. The ingress of alkalis from de-icing salts may cause the expansion of the amorphous silica aggregates (alkali-silica reaction) through formation of a swelling gel of calcium silicate hydrate if water is present. The ingress of sulfates may cause spalling of the concrete surface due to ettringite formation. BAM has developed the LIBS technique for automated laboratory use with high numbers of samples to investigate transport processes of harmful species (Cl-, CO2, SO42- and alkalis) in concrete. Information about ingress depth and the quantitative values are important to estimate the remaining lifetime of the infrastructure. To get information about the ingress depth, a core has to be taken and cut in the middle. The measurements are carried out at the cross section. The main advantages of LIBS are the direct measurement on the surface of the concrete, fast analysis (sample rate 100 Hz) with a spatial resolution of up to 100 µm, the consideration of the heterogeneity of the concrete. The possibility of automated measurements saves a lot of manpower and time. At the same time a 2D-evaluation provides information about hot spots of elemental concentration which may not be found by standard methods. Typical results of 2D investigation of concrete in laboratory will be presented. The performance is also demonstrated by examples for onsite applications using a mobile LIBS system. The road map to standardization is presented as well. T2 - 12th ECNDT CY - Gothenburg, Sweden DA - 11.06.2018 KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Chloride KW - Sulfates KW - Heterogeneity PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46828 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Gottlieb, Cassian A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Millar, Steven T1 - Fast quantitave chemical analysis of concrete using LIBS N2 - Overview about LIBS applications for investigation of building materials. T2 - NDT&E Advanced Training Workshop CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 27.06.2018 KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Damage processes KW - Chlorid KW - Sulfate KW - Alkalies PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46821 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Gottlieb, Cassian A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Wilsch, Gerd T1 - Plasma reheating in LIBS with electric discharge to detect halogens in low concentrations N2 - The Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is an useful analytical technique for the chlorine detection in building materials, specifically in the reinforcement concrete. If chlorine exceeds a specific concentration threshold, the result can be pitting corrosion of the reinforcement, which affects the stability and lifetime of building structures like marine constructions, bridges or parking decks. The critical chlorine content based to cement is 0.4 wt.-% based to the cement for reinforced concrete. The ingress of chlorides from sea water or de-icing salt leads to corrosion of the reinforcement. The chlorine spectral line Cl I at 837.59 nm shows a good performance in helium atmosphere. For measurements without helium we used a electric discharge setup to reheat the Laser-induced plasma with a voltage below 100 V. In this case the reheating shows an increasing chlorine emission in air atmosphere. This work shows chlorine calibration curves with LIBS in a helium flow and LIBS with electric discharge reheating in air atmosphere. The determination of the limit of detection (LOD) for both setups and the measurement results of a drill core sample with a quantitative chlorine ingress profile will be presented. T2 - Xth international conference on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy CY - Atlanta, GA, USA DA - 21.10.2018 KW - LIBS KW - Laser induced plasma KW - Plasma reheating KW - Electric discharge PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46797 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gottlieb, Cassian A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. A1 - Gojani, Ardian T1 - Temporal evaluation and imaging of laser-induced plasmas on cement-based materials N2 - In civil engineering, the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been applied as a fast and reliable method for a quantitative evaluation of concrete cores. Due to a two-dimensional scanning, the heterogeneity of concrete can be evaluated and elements like Cl, Na, and S are related to the cement matrix only. This study deals with the temporal evaluation and imaging of laser-induced plasmas on cement-based materials, in order to investigate the impact of aggregates with diffrent grain size on the spectral response in LIBS. T2 - Xth international conference on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy CY - Atlanta, GA, USA DA - 21.10.2018 KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Grain size PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46794 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Wilsch, Gerd T1 - Boosting of chlorine emission by electric discharge reheating in laser-induced plasma N2 - For the determination of the remaining life-time and the degree of damage of reinforced concrete structures such as marine construction, bridges or parking decks, a highly precise measurement of harmful species is also required for trace elements. One of the most interesting elements is chlorine, because above a certain threshold corrosion is triggered. To increase the intensity of the chlorine line, helium is usually used, which is costly. To overcome this problem, low electrical discharge reheating is used which operates in air atmosphere. A comparison between results obtained by measuring with helium and reheating by electrical discharge is presented. The performance is compared by the resulting calibration curves and the calculated limit of detection obtained by 15 reference samples based on cement with NaCl. Concentrations of reference samples range from 0.05 to 2.5 wt% chlorine. T2 - Xth international conference on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy CY - Atlanta, GA, USA DA - 21.10.2018 KW - LIBS KW - Electric discharge KW - Plasma reheating PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46792 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Wilsch, Gerd T1 - Spatially resolved determination of chloride content on rough surfaces using LIBS N2 - The durability and the lifetime of reinforced concrete structures can be drastically reduced by the influence of damage processes. One of the most common causes is chloride-induced corrosion, which is triggered by increased chloride content near the reinforcement. In a study, the chloride content should be determined directly at corrosion areas. The LIBS system used consists of a micro-chip laser (3 mJ, 100 Hz, 1.5ins) and two compact spectrometers covering the wavelength range of 177-355 nm (UV) and 750-940 nm (NIR). The analysis of the chloride content was carried out via the atomic chlorine spectral line 837.59 nm, using helium for signal amplification. Calibrations were carried out for quantitative chlorine measurements with 15 reference samples in the working range of 0.05 to 6.00 wt% chlorine. The calibration of the LIBS system was done according to DIN 32 645 and was tested for linearity. The determination of the quantitative chlorine contents was carried out on samples which were broken and thus have a high surface roughness. This requires real time correction of the focus point to compensate for the roughness of the samples. The poster shows spatially resolved element distributions and determined quantitative chloride concentrations near the corrosion Areas. T2 - Xth international conference on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy CY - Atlanta, GA, USA DA - 21.10.2018 KW - LIBS KW - Rough surface KW - Chloride PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46791 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Wilsch, Gerd T1 - Quantitative on-site analysis of harmful elements in building structures with a mobile LIBS-System N2 - Environmental influences and damage processes drastically reduce the durability of concrete and reinforced concrete structures. Much of this damage can be traced back to the penetration of harmful elements into the concrete. These elements cause damage processes such as the chlorine-induced corrosion, the alkali-silica reaction or the carbonization. For the maintenance the knowledge of the element concentration and the penetration depth of these harmful elements is essential. Based on this data, a maintenance concept can be developed and an estimation of the remaining service life-time can be carried out. Typically, chemical analyzes are used to determine harmful elements in concrete, which are costly and time consuming. As an alternative method LIBS is used. On-site measurements were carried out with a mobile LIBS-System to determine harmful elements in a parking garage. A scanner is used to obtain a two-dimensional element mapping. For the quantitative analysis, a calibration of the system is carried out with 15 reference samples based on cement with NaCl with a concentration range of chlorine of 0.05 to 2.5 wt.%. To determine the penetration profile of the harmful element chlorine, concrete cores were drilled, split and analyzed directly on-site. T2 - Xth international conference on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy CY - Atlanta, GA, USA DA - 21.10.2018 KW - LIBS KW - Mobile-LIBS KW - On-site analysis KW - Concrete PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46790 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Gottlieb, Cassian A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Application of LIBS for the chemical investigation of concrete infrastructure N2 - The majority of the built infrastructure is made of concrete, which is a multiphase system made of cement, aggregates, water and pores. Concrete is often used in combination with steel as reinforced concrete. Environmental influences, especially the ingress of harmful ions in combination with the ingress of water, trigger different damage processes which reduce the designed lifetime of a structure. The ingress of chlorides from de-icing salt or sea water leads to corrosion of the reinforcement. Also the carbonation of the concrete may trigger the corrosion of the reinforcement. The ingress of alkalis from de-icing salts may cause the expansion of the amorphous silica aggregates (alkali-silica reaction) through formation of a swelling gel of calcium silicate hydrate if water is present. The ingress of sulfates may cause spalling of the concrete surface due to ettringite formation. For the standard procedure in civil engineering cores are taken, cut in slices, grinded and the obtained homogenized powder is solved in acid and investigated by standard procedures. BAM has developed the LIBS technique for the 2D evaluation of the chemical composition of concrete [1-11]. The technique is established for automated laboratory use with high numbers of samples to investigate transport processes of harmful species (Cl-, CO2, SO42- and alkalis) in concrete. Information about ingress depth and the quantitative values are important to estimate the remaining lifetime of the infrastructure. LIBS is a surface technique. To get information about the ingress depth, a core has to be taken and cut in the middle. The measurements are carried out at the cross section. The main advantages of LIBS are the direct measurement on the surface of the concrete, fast analysis (sample rate 100 Hz) with a spatial resolution of up to 100 µm, the consideration of the heterogeneity of the concrete and the possibility of automated measurements which save a lot of manpower and time. As an example the investigation of ingress profiles for standard diffusion and migration tests in civil engineering takes hours in comparison to just a few minutes using LIBS. At the same time a 2D-evaluation provides information about hot spots of elemental concentration which may not be found by standard methods. Ingress of chlorides due to a crack in a repair mortar. Left: Photo of the cross section of a concrete core and the surface investigated by LIBS (area 70 mm x 70 mm). Right: Color coded chlorine intensity on the cross section of a concrete core, dark red represents high chlorine content. The state of the art of LIBS technique for applications in civil engineering will be presented, including typical results of 2D investigation of concrete in laboratory. The performance is also demonstrated by examples for onsite applications using a mobile LIBS system. The road map to standardization is presented as well. T2 - ICCRRR2018, 5th international conference on Concrete Repair, Rehabilitation and Retrofitting CY - Cape Town, South Africa DA - 19.11.2018 KW - LIBS KW - Chlorid KW - Alkalies KW - Concrete KW - Damage PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46781 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Völker, Tobias T1 - Detection of ion ingress by LIBS for Evaluation of the remaining lifetime of a concrete structure N2 - The majority of the built infrastructure is made of concrete, which is a multiphase system made of cement, aggregates, water and pores. Concrete is often used in combination with steel as reinforced concrete. Environmental influences, especially the ingress of harmful ions in combination with the ingress of water, trigger different damage processes which reduce the designed lifetime of a structure. The ingress of chlorides from de-icing salt or sea water leads to corrosion of the reinforcement. Also the carbonation of the concrete may trigger the corrosion of the reinforcement. The ingress of alkalis from de-icing salts may cause the expansion of the amorphous silica aggregates (alkali-silica reaction) through formation of a swelling gel of calcium silicate hydrate if water is present. The ingress of sulfates may cause spalling of the concrete surface due to ettringite formation. For the standard procedure in civil engineering cores are taken, cut in slices, grinded and the obtained homogenized powder is solved in acid and investigated by standard procedures. BAM has developed the LIBS technique for the 2D evaluation of the chemical composition of concrete [1-11]. The technique is established for automated laboratory use with high numbers of samples to investigate transport processes of harmful species (Cl-, CO2, SO42- and alkalis) in concrete. Information about ingress depth and the quantitative values are important to estimate the remaining lifetime of the infrastructure. LIBS is a surface technique. To get information about the ingress depth, a core has to be taken and cut in the middle. The measurements are carried out at the cross section. The main advantages of LIBS are the direct measurement on the surface of the concrete, fast analysis (sample rate 100 Hz) with a spatial resolution of up to 100 µm, the consideration of the heterogeneity of the concrete and the possibility of automated measurements which save a lot of manpower and time. As an example the investigation of ingress profiles for standard diffusion and migration tests in civil engineering takes hours in comparison to just a few minutes using LIBS. At the same time a 2D-evaluation provides information about hot spots of elemental concentration which may not be found by standard methods. Ingress of chlorides due to a crack in a repair mortar. Left: Photo of the cross section of a concrete core and the surface investigated by LIBS (area 70 mm x 70 mm). Right: Color coded chlorine intensity on the cross section of a concrete core, dark red represents high chlorine content. The state of the art of LIBS technique for applications in civil engineering will be presented, including typical results of 2D investigation of concrete in laboratory. The performance is also demonstrated by examples for onsite applications using a mobile LIBS system. The road map to standardization is presented as well. T2 - ASNT SMT/NDT-CE 2018 CY - New Brunswick, NJ, USA DA - 27.08.2018 KW - Damage processes KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Chloride PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46782 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. A1 - Kazakov, Alexander Ya. A1 - Wilsch, Gerd T1 - Application of two calibration-free LIBS techniques for synthetic spectra of cement samples N2 - Two calibration-free LIBS techniques are used for the quantitative analysis of synthetic cement samples: the CF-LIBS based on the Boltzmann plot method and the Monte Carlo (MC) LIBS based on the iterative spectrum fitting. In CF-LIBS, the inverse problem is solved, i.e. the elemental concentrations are determined by the reconstruction of plasma parameters from spectra. The MC-LIBS technique solves the direct problem by finding the highest correlation between the model-generated and experimental spectrum. The accuracy of both calibration-free LIBS methods suffers from factors such as inaccurately determined instrumental function, the deviation of experimental plasma from the mathematical model used, not taking into account the collection geometry and from the uncertainty of spectroscopic data. Therefore, the both calibration-free LIBS approaches are applied to synthetic spectra which perfectly suit the mathematical model of the method. This test yields the accuracy of both the approaches for the ideal case. In addition, the accuracy of both methods is investigated for non-isothermal plasma, because real laser-induced plasma often has high gradients in temperature. Both methods assume an isothermal plasma. T2 - Xth international conference on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy CY - Atlanta, GA, USA DA - 21.10.2018 KW - Cement KW - MC-LIBS KW - LIBS KW - CF-LIBS PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46774 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Millar, Steven A1 - Gottlieb, Cassian A1 - Sankat, Nina A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Kruschwitz, Sabine T1 - Chlorine determination in cement-bound materials with Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) – A review and validation JF - Spectrochimica Acta Part B-Atomic Spectroscopy N2 - The determination of chloride is still one of the main tasks for the evaluation of reinforced concrete structures. The corrosion of the reinforcement induced by the penetrating chlorides is the dominant damage process affecting the lifetime of concrete structures. In the recent years different research groups demonstrated that LIBS can be a fast and reliable method to quantify chlorine in cement-bound materials. Because chlorine in concrete can only occur as solved ions in the pore solution or bound in salts or hydrated cement phases, the detected emission of chlorine can be correlated with the chloride concentration determined e.g. with potentiometric titration. This work inter alia describes the production of reference samples and possible side effects during the production process. Due to transport processes in the porous matrix of the cement a misinterpretation of the concentrations is possible. It is shown how to overcome these effects and higher precisions of the single measurements can be realised. Using the calibration method, blank sample method and noise method, three different ways of calculating the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) are compared. Due to the preparation of the reference samples a precision of the whole calibration model of sx0 = 0.023 wt% is determined. The validation of the model is based on different test sets, which are varying in their composition (different Cl-salts, water-to-cement ratios and additives). The determined mean error of the validation is 0.595 ± 0.063 wt%, which is comparable to standardised methods like potentiometric titration, direct potentiometry or photometry (0.40 ± 0.06 wt%) [1]. KW - LIBS KW - Chlorine KW - Cement KW - Calibration KW - Validation PY - 2018 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2018.05.015 SN - 0584-8547 VL - 147 IS - September SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Elsevier B.V. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-46558 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Kazakov, Alexander Ya. T1 - Extension and investigation by numerical simulations of algorithm for calibration-free laser induced breakdown spectroscopy JF - Spectrochimica Acta Part B N2 - Accuracy of calibration-free (CF) methods in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) depends on experimental conditions and instrumental parameters that must match a CF LIBS model. Here, the numerical study is performed to investigate effects of various factors, such as the optical density, plasma uniformity, line overlap, noise, spectral resolution, electron density and path length on the results of CF-LIBS analyses. The effects are examined one-by-one using synthetic spectra of steel slag samples that fully comply with the mathematical model of the method. Also, the algorithm includes several new features in comparison with previously proposed CF algorithms. In particular, it removes limits on the optical thickness of spectral lines that are used for the construction of the Saha-Boltzmann plot; it retrieves the absorption path length (Plasma diameter) directly from spectral lines; it uses the more realistic Voigt line profile function instead of the Lorentzian function; and it employs the pre-calculated and tabulated thin-to-thick line ratios instead of approximating functions for selfabsorption correction. KW - Laser induced plasma KW - LIBS KW - Plasma modeling KW - Plasma diagnostics KW - Calibration free LIBS PY - 2018 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2018.06.011 SN - 0584-8547 VL - 147 SP - 149 EP - 163 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-45340 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gottlieb, Cassian A1 - Günther, Tobias A1 - Wilsch, Gerd T1 - Impact of grain sizes on the quantitative concrete analysis using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy JF - Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy N2 - In civil engineering concrete is the most used building material for making infrastructures like bridges and parking decks worldwide. It is as a porous and multiphase material made of aggregates with a defined grain size distribution, cement and water as well as different additives and admixtures depending on the application. Different grain sizes are important to ensure the needed density and compressive strength. The resulting porous cement matrix contains a mixture of flour grains (aggregates with a grain size below 125 lm) and cement particles (particle size≈50lm). Harmful species like chlorides may penetrate together with water through the capillary pore space and may trigger different damage processes. The damage assessment of concrete structures in Germany is estimated due to the quantification of harmful elements regarding to the cement content only. In the evaluation of concrete using LIBS a two-dimensional scanning is necessary to consider the heterogeneity caused by the aggregates. Therefore, a LIBS system operating with a low energy NdCr:YAG laser, a pulse energy of 3 mJ, a wavelength of 1064 nm, a pulse width of 1.5 ns and a Repetition rate of 100 Hz has been used. Different Czerny-Turner spectrometers with CCD detectors in the UV and NIR range have been used for the detection. Large aggregates (macro-heterogeneity) can be excluded from the evaluation, whereas small aggregates in the range of the laser spot size (flour grains) cannot be spatially resolved. In this work the micro heterogeneity caused by flour grains and their impact on the quantification with LIBS will be discussed. To analyze the effect of changing grain sizes and ratios, the ablation behavior has been determined and compared. Samples with defined grain sizes were made and analyzed using LIBS. The grain size distributions were analyzed with laser diffraction (LDA). KW - LIBS KW - Concrete KW - Micro heterogeneity KW - Grain sizes PY - 2018 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2018.02.004 SN - 0584-8547 SN - 0038-6987 VL - 142 SP - 74 EP - 84 PB - Elsevier AN - OPUS4-44595 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -