1997 Volume 83 Issue 1 Pages 42-47
A new system of the laser ablation-ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) AES (Atomic Emission Spectrometry ) was developed for rapid analysis of steels. A lamp pumped Nd; YAG laser or a laser diode pumped solid-state laser is used for ablating samples with the Q-switched mode of high pulse repetition rate. The optical system for the laser radiation is adjusted to satisfy a criterion of laser energy density. The optics is also adjusted to scan the laser beam in the whole area of a square repeatedly. The composition of particles generated by the system is almost the same as that of the solid matrix, and their sizes are<0.1μm and near uniform. These features of particles bring high sensitivity and precision to this system.
The developed laser-ICP system shows some analytical merits superior to the spark source AES. The analytical performances of this system are excellent precision in the trace level concentration, good linearity of analytical curve, little or no sample preparation, the ability of the analysis of hot samples (1000°C), accurate control of analytical point. On carbon determination in steel, the influence of metallurgical history which causes the serious error in the spark source AES, is not appeared in the developed system.
The developed laser-ICP system has been applied to two analytical systems in steelmaking works. One is a full automatic analyzing system of steel product samples and the other is a rapid analyzer of defects in steel sheets. Both of the systems are working smoothly.
