Fast Scanning Laser-OES. I. Characterization of Non-metallic Inclusions in Steel

Abstract

Pulsed laser sources with high repetition rates, high beam quality and pulse-to-pulse stability are available since few years. These sources can be applied to micro-analytical scanning techniques requiring high number of laser pulses in a short time, low signal deviation and good focusability. A scanning laser-induced optical emission spectrometer (Laser-OES) using such a laser source was built up and applied to steel cleanness analysis. This novel analytical technique enables to distinguish between different inclusion types based on their chemical compositions. Coincidences of high intensity peaks for single elements at the same co-ordinates can be connected to specific inclusion types.

Keywords:

• Laser-OES
• LIBS
• LIPS
• Low alloy steel
• Mapping routine
• Non-metallic inclusion
• Sample preparation
• Scanning laser spectrometry
• Steel cleanness
• Steel matrix
• Synthetic sample material

Acknowledgments

Parts of the presented work have been carried out in the frame of an EU project in the European Commission for Coal and Steel (ECSC) RTD steel programme under Contract 7210-PR/168. The authors like to thank the ECSC for financial support.