Quantitative analysis of the main components in ceramic raw materials based on the desktop LIBS analyzer

The concentrations of SiO₂, Al₂O₃, K₂O, Na₂O, CaO, MgO, Fe₂O₃ and TiO₂, and loss on ignition (L.O.I.) are the main inorganic components of geological samples. Concentrations of the eight oxides and L.O.I. are also the main indicators of concern in the production of building ceramics. Quantitative analysis of the eight oxides and L.O.I. was performed using fiber-laser-based laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). A combination of continuous background deduction, full width at half maximum (FWHM) intensity integral and spectral sum normalization was proposed for data processing. After the data processing combined the continuous background deduction, FWHM intensity integral and spectral sum normalization, the mean absolute errors (MAEs) of the calibration of L.O.I., SiO₂, Al₂O₃, K₂O, Na₂O, CaO, MgO, Fe₂O₃ and TiO₂ was reduced from 2.03%, 12.06%, 4.84%, 1.10%, 0.69%, 0.31%, 0.11%, 0.20% and 0.10% to 1.80%, 9.48%, 2.12%, 0.36%, 0.58%, 0.11%, 0.08%, 0.19% and 0.05%, respectively. This multivariate method was further introduced and discussed to improve the analysis performance. The MAEs of L.O.I., SiO₂, Al₂O₃, K₂O and Na₂O were further reduced to 1.12%, 2.07%, 1.38%, 0.35% and 0.43%, respectively. The results show that the overall prediction error can meet the requirements for the production of building ceramics. The LIBS desktop analyzer has great potential in detection applications on geological samples.