Analysis of element content in cement by Gaussian and flattop laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an elemental qualitative and quantitative analytical technique. To improve the stability and accuracy of LIBS in the determination of elemental content in cement, the Gaussian laser beam was transformed into a homogeneous flattop laser beam by a diffractive optical element. Analytical performance was evaluated by comparing their ablation crater morphology and three parameters (R², SD, and LOD). The flattop LIBS obtained more constant ablation, more stable spectral intensity, better correlation calibration curve and lower LOD. The results demonstrated that the flattop LIBS has great potential for industrial applications.