Chemical and Mineralogical Analysis of Samples Using Combined LIBS, Raman Spectroscopy and µ-EDXRF

Abstract

Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis is one of the standard techniques for the evaluation of mineral deposits. The advantage of EDXRF is the fast delivery of information about the bulk elemental composition as well as the elemental composition of each mineral class. With micro energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (µ-EDXRF) analysis, information can be obtained with a micrometer resolution. However, it has some limitations. With EDXRF, light elements (e.g., lithium) cannot be detected, and the count rates for carbon, fluorine and sodium are very low. This might lead to a misinterpretation of the mineral classes and the worth of the deposit. Furthermore, the identification of the alteration phases of primary minerals is ambiguous. Here, we will present an approach to overcome the limitations of µ-EDXRF by complementing it with combined laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectroscopy. In contrast to EDXRF, LIBS is able to detect all elements, including light elements. Raman spectroscopy can identify mineral phases and eventually provide additional information on their alterations and modifications. In the present paper, we show results for two different samples covering a certain chemical and mineralogical range that demonstrate the potential of the proposed combination of methods for the chemical and mineralogical analysis of geological samples.