Design of an athermal and vibration-isolated Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument

Master thesis (2021)

Authors

A.M. van der Aa Mechanical Engineering

Contributors

L.A. Cacace Optical Technologies - Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering (mentor)
J.P. Kappelhof Optical Technologies - Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering (mentor)
M Sandtke (graduation committee member)
J.W. Spronck Mechatronic Systems Design - Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering (graduation committee member)
Faculty
Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Copyright: © 2021 Arne van der Aa
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Published Date

27-05-2021

Language

English

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Faculty

Mechanical Engineering

Abstract

Industry-wide there is an interest in chemical composition sensing of materials, which requires no sample preparation and can be implemented in real-time. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, or LIBS, is a measurement tool able to achieve this by exciting material, creating an analytical plasma followed by observing its atomic emission of light. Wavelengths characteristic for the elements present in the material can be identified and used for quantitative measurements. This thesis focuses on how an instrument utilizing LIBS can be designed such that deformations of the instrument due to environmental loads do not influence the creation, and especially, the observation of the plasma. Experiments done showed the calibrated algorithm to misestimate the chemical composition if the plasma is partly observed. The proposed design of the instrument is realized and put to the test for thermal and mechanical loads individually, which verified its performance to stably create and observe the analytical plasma while enduring these.

Files

MSc_Thesis_Report_AMvanderAa.p... (.pdf)
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- Embargo expired in 27-05-2023