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Updated: May 28, 2026
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Quantitative Analysis of Vacuum Induction Melting by Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
Published on: June 10, 2019
Extracting coal ash content from laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) spectra by multivariate analysis
Shunchun Yao1, Jidong Lu, Meirong Dong
1School of Electric Power of South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, Guangdong, PR China.
Applied Spectroscopy
|October 12, 2011
Summary
This study demonstrates that laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) combined with partial least squares (PLS) analysis can accurately determine coal ash content. This method offers a viable alternative for rapid, quantitative analysis of coal quality.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Geochemistry
Background:
- Accurate determination of coal ash content is crucial for coal quality assessment and combustion efficiency.
- Traditional methods for ash content analysis can be time-consuming and labor-intensive.
- Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) offers a rapid, non-destructive analytical technique.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a quantitative method for determining coal ash content using LIBS combined with partial least squares (PLS) analysis.
- To investigate the feasibility of extracting coal ash information directly from LIBS spectra using multivariate analysis.
- To compare the performance of PLS models constructed with different spectral ranges.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative analysis of coal ash content using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).
- Application of partial least squares (PLS) regression, a multivariate analysis technique, to LIBS spectra.
- Optimization of PLS models by evaluating different spectral ranges based on calibration and validation performance metrics.
- Validation of the optimized PLS model using independent measurements of unknown coal samples.
Main Results:
- A good agreement was observed between ash content determined by LIBS-PLS and a thermo-gravimetric analyzer for unknown samples.
- The PLS regression model demonstrated good prediction accuracy, reproducibility, and a low limit of detection.
- Different spectral ranges were evaluated, leading to the selection of optimal ranges for model construction.
Conclusions:
- The combined LIBS and PLS approach is feasible for the quantitative analysis of coal ash content.
- This technique shows significant potential for rapid, on-line, and accurate assessment of coal quality.
- The multivariate analysis of LIBS spectra provides a direct pathway to ash content determination, bypassing the need to analyze individual ash-forming elements.
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