A novel specimen-preparing method using epoxy resin as binding material for LIBS analysis of powder samples

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Spectroscopy
• Materials Science

Background:

• Powder sample preprocessing is essential for quantitative analysis using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).
• Traditional binders like polyethylene (PE) have limitations in optimizing LIBS performance.
• Developing improved binders is crucial for enhancing the accuracy and practicality of LIBS for powder samples.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate epoxy resin as a novel binder for powder samples in LIBS analysis.
• To compare the performance of epoxy resin binders with traditional polyethylene binders.
• To evaluate the impact of epoxy resin on signal intensity, calibration curves, and limits of detection for key elements.

Main Methods:

• Powdered soil samples were prepared using epoxy resin as a binder.
• Comparative analysis with traditional polyethylene pellet samples was conducted using LIBS.
• Signal intensities for Fe, Ca, and Cr were measured, and calibration curves were constructed.

Main Results:

• Epoxy resin samples exhibited approximately 2 times greater signal intensities compared to PE samples.
• Higher R-squared values (0.981-0.985) were achieved with epoxy resin, indicating improved linearity.
• Epoxy resin binders resulted in lower limits of detection for Fe, Ca, and Cr.

Conclusions:

• Epoxy resin provides superior sample homogeneity, cohesiveness, smoothness, and hardness for LIBS analysis.
• The proposed epoxy resin method enhances system stability, testing accuracy, and signal enhancement.
• This novel approach significantly improves the practicality of LIBS for quantitative powder sample analysis.