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Abstract: An acoustic signal was used for the internal standardization of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) of a glazed wall tile. For the LIBS analyses, 1064 nm and 532 nm wavelengths of the Nd:YAG laser were utilized. The tile was depth profiled by a single-spot ablation from the glaze into the substrate. Some lines of major elements Si(I) 252.418, Si(I) 252.851, Al(I) 257.509, Cr(I) 295.368, Al(I) 309.271 nm and Ti(II) 334.904 nm were monitored. The decrease in the optical emissions during the ablation was successfully compensated for by normalization to the square power of the acoustic signal in the interval of 290–340 nm. This approach failed for the lines between 250–270 nm. The results were the same for both lasing wavelengths despite different irradiances. The acquired profiles are in good agreement with the reference X-ray fluorescence measurement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The feasibility of depth profiling of zinc-coated iron sheets by laser ablation (LA) was studied using an Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and an excimer ArF* laser (193 nm) with a beam homogenizer. The latter was coupled to an ICP with mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Fixed-spot ablation was applied. Both LA systems were capable of providing depth profiles that approach the profiles obtained by glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GD-OES) and electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPXMA). For Nd:YAG laser an artefact consisting of zinc depth profile signal tailing appeared, enlarging thus erroneously diffusional coating–substrate interface profile. However, the ArF* system partially reduced but not suppressed that phenomenon. For both LA systems the Fe signal from the substrate increased with depth as expected and reached a plateau. The depth resolution (depth range corresponding to 84%–16% change in the full signal) achieved was several micrometers. Ablation rate was found to depend on ablation spot area at constant irradiance. Consequently, ablated volume per shot dependence on pulse energy exhibits deviation from linear course. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]