Elemental Analysis of Cement and Its Components by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Laser Ablation Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (LA-TOF-MS)

Abstract

Coastal and barrage waters are polluted by heavy metals to varying degrees causing potential risks to underwater life. The present study aims to detect the major and trace elements in cement and its components used for the construction of dams and barrages. Essential ingredients of barrage materials including Portland cement, clays, and sediments have been quantitatively analyzed. The compositional analysis was performed using calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) based on the intensities of the optical emission spectra. The analysis by laser ablation time of flight mass spectroscopy (LA-TOF-MS) was performed based on the ionic mass spectra of the constituent elements. The optical emission spectra of the samples revealed the presence of calcium, potassium, iron, and magnesium as major elements, aluminum, titanium, silicon, sodium, and lithium as minor elements, while barium, manganese, and strontium were present at trace concentrations. Toxic and hazardous elements were present within the safe limits. The LA-TOF-MS results conform the LIBS values showing the reliability of these complementary techniques for the compositional analysis of materials.

Keywords:

• cement
• laser ablation time of flight mass spectrometry (LA-TOF-MS)
• laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)
• sediments

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Atomic and Molecular Physics Laboratory and the Department of Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan for providing research facilities.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals.