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Detection and Quantification of Precious Elements in Astrophyllite Mineral by Optical Spectroscopy
Altaf Ahmad1, Shahab Ahmed Abbasi2, Muhammad Hafeez1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarbad 13100, Pakistan.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 13, 2021
Summary
Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) analyzed astrophyllite, identifying 15 elements including valuable Ti and W. This geological analysis confirms the mineral
Area of Science:
- Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) offers advantages for analyzing complex geological materials.
- Astrophyllite is a rare mineral containing elements of industrial and technological significance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of astrophyllite using LIBS.
- To identify and quantify precious elements within the astrophyllite sample.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a Nd:YAG laser (5 ns pulse width, 10 Hz repetition rate) to generate microplasma on an astrophyllite target.
- Recorded optical emissions from 200-720 nm using a LIBS2000+ detection system.
- Employed a calibration-free method for quantitative analysis and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) for benchmarking.
Main Results:
- Identified 15 elements in astrophyllite: Ti, W, Ag, Al, Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Na, Ni, Si, and H.
- Quantified ten major elements, with Ti (55.39%) and W (18.79%) being most abundant.
- XRF analysis corroborated LIBS findings, showing reasonable agreement in concentrations, especially for major elements.
Conclusions:
- LIBS is effective for the compositional analysis of rare minerals like astrophyllite.
- The astrophyllite sample from Pakistan is economically valuable due to significant Ti and W content.
- This study supports the application of LIBS for mineral exploration in the region.
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