Issue 8, 2018

Elemental imaging by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for the geological characterization of minerals

Abstract

Geological studies increasingly require highly sensitive elemental techniques able to image the distribution of elements in minerals with microscopic-scale resolution. In this paper, we present an evaluation of megapixel laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) imaging for the geological characterization of minerals. The study is conducted on a hydrothermal ore sample with a complex mineral structure involving five different mineral phases (galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, quartz and ankerite). A new methodology of data treatment adapted to a multi-phase material and megapixel LIBS imaging is also detailed. We demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, that LIBS-imaging technology is able to both detect and image rare earth elements (here La and Y) in carbonate as well as substituents present at the ppm-scale level in various mineral phases (i.e., cadmium in sphalerite; bismuth, silver and antimony in galena; beryllium and aluminum in quartz; and tin in chalcopyrite). These results appear extremely promising for the geological domain and should pave the way for innumerable applications.

Graphical abstract: Elemental imaging by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for the geological characterization of minerals

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
15 Yan 2018
Accepted
02 Maw 2018
First published
02 Maw 2018

J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2018,33, 1345-1353

Elemental imaging by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for the geological characterization of minerals

C. Fabre, D. Devismes, S. Moncayo, F. Pelascini, F. Trichard, A. Lecomte, B. Bousquet, J. Cauzid and V. Motto-Ros, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2018, 33, 1345 DOI: 10.1039/C8JA00048D

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