Rapid quantitative analysis of trace elements in plutonium alloys using a handheld laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) device coupled with chemometrics and machine learning

Abstract

We present the first reported quantification of trace elements in plutonium via a portable laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) device and demonstrate the use of chemometric analysis to enhance the handheld...

Exploration of LIBS as a novel and rapid elemental mapping technique of nuclear fuels in the form of surrogate TRISO particles

“…[1][2][3] LIBS has become a widely used technique for a variety of samples and elemental determinations. 1,4 More recently, LIBS has shown utility in the eld of nuclear analytical chemistry where handheld-LIBS has been demonstrated for measuring both bulk and impurity levels in nuclear matrices, [5][6][7][8] LIBS has been developed for real-time monitoring off-gasses and material interactions applicable to molten salt reactors, [9][10][11][12][13] and LIBS tools for measuring uranium hexauoride enrichment have been developed. [14][15][16] Ultimately, LIBS offers many advantages for the nuclear industry mainly due to its ability to perform analysis from a distance, or at the sample in a handheld conguration, making the technique very benecial for working in radiological environments (e.g., glove boxes, reactors, etc.…”

Determination of Ce and La in REE-rich ores using handheld LIBS and PLS regression

“…Nowadays, there are many examples for the use of the handheld LIBS analyzers in geochemical exploration in situ, 39,40 and for analysis of dangerous radioactive materials such as plutonium alloys. [41][42][43] However, the poor spectral resolution of these systems limits their use with a variety of ores that have rich emission spectra.…”

Evaluation of spectral collection strategies for identification of Dalbergia spp. using handheld laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy

“…Many spectroscopic instruments are commercially available in handheld or portable form, including Raman, infrared (IR), X‐ray fluorescence (XRF), and laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The ability to readily collect large quantities of data in the field, with minimal sample transport, preparation, and storage, makes handheld spectrometers an intriguing tool in metallurgy, 2,3 botany, 4 archeology, 5,6 mining, 7 geology, 8,9 recycling, 10 and forensics, 11 among other fields. While many traditional laboratory analyses can now be performed in the field with handheld analogs to benchtop instruments, handheld spectrometers generally have poorer resolution and signal‐to‐noise (S/N) performance.…”

“…Consequently, the metal signature of the soil, as transferred into the wood, may form a pathway to determine Dalbergia species of rosewood lumber and products. In recent years, handheld LIBS has been used in a wide variety of areas where elemental signature characterization is important, including mining, 2,3 astrochemistry, 26 wood analysis, 27 and other applications 28 . In one recent study, a homemade portable LIBS system in tandem with a near IR spectrometer was used to discriminate varying wood genera and showed a 90% classification accuracy 29 .…”