Discrimination among Carbonate Minerals by Raman Spectroscopy Using the Laser Microprobe

Raman spectroscopy has been used to distinguish the individual carbonate minerals belonging to the calcite, dolomite, and aragonite structural groups. With the use of the in situ laser microprobe technique, it is demonstrated that particle-size effects do not hinder the mineral identification and that high precision in line position is achieved. Spectra can be obtained from samples in any form and provide rapid, nondestructive analyses on a microscopic scale of the hard-to-discriminate carbonate minerals.