Check out this recent publication---->
Geochemical Fingerprinting by Handheld Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy.
Harmon, R. S., Hark, R. R., Throckmorton, C. S., Rankey, E. C., Wise, M. A., Somers, A. M. and Collins, L. M. (2017), Geochemical Fingerprinting by Handheld Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy. Geostand Geoanal Res, 41: 563-584. doi:10.1111/ggr.12175
Abstract:
A broad suite of geological materials was studied a using a handheld laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)
instrument. Because LIBS is simultaneously sensitive to all elements, the full broadband emission spectrum recorded from a single laser shot provides a
'
chemical
fingerprint
'
of any material
-
solid, liquid or gas. The distinguishing chemical
characteristics of the samples analyzed were identified through principal component analysis (PCA), which demonstrates
how this technique for statistical analysis can be used to identify spectral differences between similar sample types based
on minor and trace constituents. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA) was used to distinguish and classify the
materials, with excellent discrimination achieved for all sample types. This study illustrates through four examples
(carbonate minerals and rocks, the oxide mineral pair columbite
-
tantalite, the silicate mineral garnet and native gold)
how portable, handheld LIBS analyzers can be used for real-time chemical analysis under simulated field conditions for
element or mineral identification, plus such applications as stratigraphic correlation, provenance determination and
natural resource
exploration.
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