Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), can determine whether a glass batch has been formulated accurately & if individual batch ingredients are within specifications. LIBS provides rapid measurements, either in-situ or on a sample-by-sample basis, of the chemical composition of glass raw materials, mixed batch, cullet & molten glass. It is an atomic emission spectrographic technique in which a pulsed laser is focused through an optical system on the surface of a target. The combination of high pulse energy (50-200mJ), short pulse duration (~10ns)& small focal area generates a concentrated burst of energy that vaporises & ionises a small amount of the sample, resulting in a hot microplasma, which appears as a tiny, bright spark. Light from the plasma is collected through a second optical system. Atomic emission peaks are resolved & displayed as a function of wavelength. The wavelength of each peak corresponds to a particular element, & the area under the peak is related to the element concentration.
