Determining Elemental Concentrations of Nickel-Doped Iron Samples through the Method of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
Abstract
Accurate information about the composition and concentration of the elements
comprising a material is oftentimes of the utmost importance. Laser induced breakdown
spectroscopy (LIBS) is a method for determining compositional information of materials
with minimal to no sample preparation and with limited destructiveness. In this work, an
optical path configuration for achieving ablation that is suitable for both LIBS and micro
LIBS is constructed. Using the optical path, LIBS spectra are taken for a series of iron
samples with progressively reduced nickel-dopant concentrations in the range of 10%
down to 0%. Subsequently, a spectral data analysis process is defined to enable the
production of calibration curves for nickel concentrations in doped samples of iron that
may be extended beyond the range studied here. The experimental setup, data acquisition,
and data analysis processes in this thesis are immediately generalizable to a range of metal
alloys with varying numbers of elements and relative concentrations.
Table of Contents
Introduction -- Research methods -- Results and discussion -- Conclusion
Degree
M.S.