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 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 - Gornushkin, Igor B. T1 - Mass and mole fractions in calibration-free LIBS 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 - Quackatz, Lukas A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. A1 - Griesche, Axel A1 - Kannengießer, Thomas A1 - Treutler, Kai A1 - Wesling, Volker T1 - In situ chemical analysis of duplex stainless steel weld by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy N2 - The high corrosion resistance and good mechanical properties of duplex stainless steel (DSS) are due to its special chemical composition, which is a balanced phase ratio of ferrite (α) and austenite (γ). Many industrial applications require the integration of DSS components. For this, Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) is an excellent choice, as it allows an automated operation with high reproducibility. However, when the weld pool solidifies, critical ratios of α- and γ- phases can occur, which lead to solidification cracking, increased susceptibility to corrosion, and a decrease in ductility and critical strength. Previous studies have shown that these defects can be caused by the accumulation of manganese and chromium in the heat affected zone (HAZ), requiring ongoing monitoring of this accumulation. A suitable method for such monitoring is laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), which can be used in two operating modes: calibration using standard reference samples and calibration-free. Unlike conventional quantitative LIBS measurements, which require reference samples to generate a calibration curve, calibration-free LIBS (CF-LIBS) allows chemical compositions to be determined solely from the emission spectrum of the plasma. Numerous publications show that CF-LIBS is a fast and efficient analytical method for the quantitative analysis of metal samples. In this work, CF-LIBS is applied to spectra obtained during GTAW DSS welding and the result is compared with those obtained by PLS analysis. A good correlation was found between both types of analysis, demonstrating the suitability of the CF-LIBS method for this application. The CF-LIBS method has a significant advantage over conventional LIBS due to the rapid in situ measurement of concentrations of major alloying elements without calibration procedure. This, combined with fast feedback and appropriate adjustment of welding parameters, helps prevent welding defects. KW - Duplex stainless steels KW - In situ measurement KW - LIBS KW - GMAW PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-597940 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2024.106899 SN - 0584-8547 VL - 214 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-59794 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Erler, A. A1 - Riebe, D. A1 - Beitz, T. A1 - Löhmannsröben, H.-G. A1 - Leenen, M. A1 - Pätzold, S. A1 - Ostermann, Markus A1 - Wójcik, M. T1 - Mobile Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Future Application in Precision Agriculture—A Case Study N2 - In precision agriculture, the estimation of soil parameters via sensors and the creation of nutrient maps are a prerequisite for farmers to take targeted measures such as spatially resolved fertilization. In this work, 68 soil samples uniformly distributed over a field near Bonn are investigated using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). These investigations include the determination of the total contents of macro- and micronutrients as well as further soil parameters such as soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM) content, and soil texture. The applied LIBS instruments are a handheld and a platform spectrometer, which potentially allows for the single-point measurement and scanning of whole fields, respectively. Their results are compared with a high-resolution lab spectrometer. The prediction of soil parameters was based on multivariate methods. Different feature selection methods and regression methods like PLS, PCR, SVM, Lasso, and Gaussian processes were tested and compared. While good predictions were obtained for Ca, Mg, P, Mn, Cu, and silt content, excellent predictions were obtained for K, Fe, and clay content. The comparison of the three different spectrometers showed that although the lab spectrometer gives the best results, measurements with both field spectrometers also yield good results. This allows for a method transfer to the in-field measurements KW - LIBS KW - Precision agriculture KW - Soil KW - Multivariate methods KW - Feature selection PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-580777 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/s23167178 VL - 23 IS - 16 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - MDPI AG CY - Basel, Schweiz AN - OPUS4-58077 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Riedel, Jens A1 - Hufgard, Josefin A1 - You, Yi T1 - LIBS at high duty-cycles: effect of repetition rate and temporal width on the excitation laser pulses N2 - Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is becoming a more mature technology every year with new variants such as laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry, reheating by various discharge techniques, and multiple pulse excitation schemes, in which sometimes lasers of different pulse lengths are used. However, lasers with inherent parameters like pulse length and repetition rate are still almost exclusively employed. Recent years have witnessed the advent of novel high-repetition-rate laser concepts for machining processes, like welding, milling, and engraving. Here, a comprehensive study of single-pulse LIBS spectra of a single aluminum target is presented to showcase the applicability of flexible high duty-cycle master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) lasers. Although traditional flashlamp-pumped Fabry–Pérot lasers only permit a variation in the pulse energy and are operated at very low duty-cycles, MOPA lasers add repetition rate and pulse length as variable parameters. A thorough analysis of the temporal plasma behavior revealed the emission dynamic to closely match the excitation laser pulse pattern. An aluminum sample’s spectral response was shown to be significantly impacted by variations in both rate and length. Although the spectral emission strength of the elemental lines of Al, Sr, and Ca all peaked at slightly different parameter settings, the strongest impact was found on the relative abundance of molecular AlO bands. Unlike in previous laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry (LAMIS) publications, the latter could be readily detected with a good intensity and well-resolved spectral features without any temporal gating of the detector. This finding, together with the fact that MOPA lasers are both inexpensive and dependable, makes for a promising combination for future studies including the detection of diatomic band structures. KW - Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy KW - LIBS PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-583300 DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2023.1241533 SN - 2296-424X VL - 11 SP - 1 EP - 8 AN - OPUS4-58330 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Xue, Boyang A1 - Wang, Zhangjun A1 - Zhu, Tao A1 - Gu, Yezhen A1 - Sun, Weihong A1 - Chen, Chao A1 - Li, Zhigang A1 - Riedel, Jens A1 - You, Yi T1 - High repetition-rate laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy combined with two-dimensional correlation method for analysis of sea-salt aerosols N2 - Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) offers a tantalizing glimpse into real-time, on-the-spot aerosol analysis. Yet, the reliance on traditional lasers, with their limitations in energy and frequency, hampers optimal sample handling, dissociation, and excitation. To address those challenges, we propose a novel tactic: utilize a high repetition-rate (rep.-rate) laser with low pulse energy in combination with the two-dimensional correlation (2D-corr.) technique for sea-salt aerosols analyses. By examining the emission patterns from both the laser pulse train and individual pulses, we recognize distinctive analyte-specific rep.-rate responses, which allowed spectral reconstruction of analytes, avoiding background interferences. This discovery enabled the rep.-rate modulation for a 2D-corr. spectroscopy workflow. Consequently, we successfully differentiated between particle-related and air-species-related spectral components, obviating expensive spectrometers or intensified image detectors. For instance, the Na I at 589 nm stemming from aerosols exhibited an entirely different correlation contribution compared to O I at 777 nm, resulting in reconstructed clean aerosol-spectra without spectral peaks originated from air species. This 2D-corr. aerosol LIBS approach shows promising analytical potential streamlining aerosol particle analysis. KW - LIBS KW - Aerosol PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-613392 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2024.107048 SN - 0584-8547 VL - 221 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Elsevier AN - OPUS4-61339 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - You, Yi A1 - Xue, Boyang A1 - Riedel, Jens T1 - Enhancement of LIBS plasma in air with organic solvent vapors N2 - Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) offers versatile, field-deployable elemental analysis; however, compact, high-repetition-rate nanosecond laser systems typically face constraints in power consumption and size, often compromising emission intensity and thus analytical performance. We demonstrate a significant improvement in LIBS signals through the controlled introduction of common organic solvent vapors into a sheath gas, with a diode-pumped solid-state laser (1064 nm, 2–28 kHz repetition rate, 450–600-μJ pulse energy). Optical and acoustic diagnostics reveal up to ca. 40-fold enhancement of the N II emission line at 567 nm when ambient air serves as the analyte. Maximal enhancement occurs at intermediate repetition rates of ca. 15 kHz, particularly at pulse energies approaching the optical breakdown threshold; this observation suggests a viable strategy for operating LIBS at lower pulse energies and higher repetition rates. Enhancement effects scale jointly with both vapor pressure and ionization energy of the organic species, with acetone and toluene markedly outperforming methanol and isopropanol. These findings provide a rational foundation for significantly improving the analytical performance of portable LIBS instruments without exceeding platform-specific constraints. KW - LIBS PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-653758 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2025.107309 SN - 0584-8547 VL - 236 SP - 1 EP - 6 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-65375 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -