A comparative study of Cu-Ni Alloy using LIBS, LA-TOF, EDX, and XRF

LASER induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been used for the quantitative analysis of Cu-Ni alloy of known composition (75% Cu, 25% Ni) using the one line calibration free-LIBS (OLCF-LIBS), self-calibration-LIBS (SC-LIBS), calibration free LIBS (CF-LIBS), time of flight-mass spectroscopy (TOF-MS), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). For the LIBS-based studies, the plasma was generated by focusing the beam of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (532 nm, pulse energy about 200 mJ, 5 ns pulse duration) while the sample was placed in air at an atmospheric pressure. Plasma temperature about (9500 +/- 300) K was calculated by the Boltzmann plot method using the neutral lines of Cu and Ni whereas the electron number density was calculated (2.0 +/- 0.5) x 10(16) cm(-3) from the Stark broadening of an isolated Cu line as well as using the relative intensities of the neutral and singly ionized optically thin lines in the Saha-Boltzmann equation. The elemental compositions determined by different LIBS methods and standard techniques are; OLCF-LIBS (69% Cu and 31% Ni), SC-LIBS (72% Cu and 28% Ni), CF-LIBS (74% Cu and 26% Ni), TOF (74% Cu and 26% Ni), EDX (75% Cu and 24.5% Ni), XRF (73% Cu and 24.7% Ni), and LA-TOF (74% Cu and 26% Ni). It is demonstrated that the CF-LIBS method gives compositions comparable with that determined by LA-TOF, EDX, or XRF, which is also in agreement with the certified reported composition.