Influence of sample temperature on the expansion dynamics and the optical emission of laser-induced plasma

We investigate the influence of sample temperature on the dynamics and optical emission of laser induced plasma for various solid materials. Bulk aluminum alloy, silicon wafer, and metallurgical slag samples are heated to temperature T-S <= 500 degrees C and ablated in air by Nd:YAG laser pulses (wavelength 1064 nm, pulse duration approx. 7 ns). The plasma dynamics is investigated by fast time-resolved photography. For laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) the optical emission of plasma is measured by Echelle spectrometers in combination with intensified CCD cameras. For all sample materials the temporal evolution of plume size and broadband plasma emission vary systematically with T-S. The size and brightness of expanding plumes increase at higher T-S while the mean intensity remains independent of temperature. The intensity of emission lines increases with temperature for all samples. Plasma temperature and electron number density do not vary with T-S. We apply the calibration-free LIBS method to determine the concentration of major oxides in slag and find good agreement to reference data up to T-S = 450 degrees C. The LIBS analysis of multi-component materials at high temperature is of interest for technical applications, e.g. in industrial production processes. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.