Detection of multiple elements in coal samples from Bangladesh by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was used to analyze the coal samples from the Barapukuria coal mine of Bangladesh and coal from eastern India. Besides the major elements carbon and silicon, a number of minor and trace elements, such as iron, titanium, aluminum, calcium, sodium, copper, zirconium, neodymium, ytterbium, cerium, samarium, dysprosium and gadolinium were identified. In earlier work some researchers identified the lines around 279 and 280 nm as due to Mg II rather than Yb III. The reasons for identifying these two lines as due to ytterbium in the present work are explained. The detection of multiple elements in one experiment in a commonly used fuel demonstrated the versatility and multi-elemental capability of LIBS.

► LIBS technique had been used in conjunction with high resolution spectrograph and gated ICCD.
► Coal samples from Bangladesh and eastern India were subjected to LIBS analyses for the first time.
► Carbon, Silicon and a large number of minor and trace elements were detected.
► Among the minor and trace elements rare earths like Nd, Yb, Ce, Sm, Dy and Gd were detected.
► Reasoning was put forward for the identification of some lines as due to Yb instead of Mg.