Analysis of slags using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

• Slag samples were synthesized for catalyst application.
• A method has been developed to use a very small sample for LIBS analysis.
• LIBS results have been compared with ICP measurement.
• Various data processing techniques have been used.

The feasibility of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for the analysis of gasification slags was investigated by comparing LIBS results to the results of an ICP-OES analyzer. A small amount of slag sample was placed on a piece of double sided adhesive tape attached to a glass microscope slide and analyzed for Al, Ca, Fe, Si, and V which are major elements found in slags. The partial least squares regression (PLS-R) and univariate simple linear regression (SLR) calibration methods indicated that apart from V (accuracy up to + 20%) the accuracy of analysis varies within 0.35–6.5% for SLR and 0.06–10% for PLS-R. A paired-sample t-test within the 95% confidence level yielded p-values greater than 0.05, meaning no appreciable statistical difference was observed between the univariate SLR with internal standardization and the multivariate PLS-R for most of the analytes. From the results obtained in this work, LIBS response varies depending on the element and the technique used for quantitative analysis. Simultaneous use of the univariate calibration curves with internal standard (intensity ratio) and PLS regression in multi-elemental analysis can help reduce the matrix effect of slags associated to their high variation in concentration. Overall, these results demonstrate the capability of LIBS as an alternative technique for analyzing gasification slags. Estimated limits of detection for Al, Ca, Fe, Si and V were 0.167, 0.78, 0.171, 0.243 and 0.01 wt.%, respectively.