Introduction: As LIBS has been applied to a wider and more useful range of samples, it has been realized that signals generated with the laser plasma are highly dependent upon the matrix from which they have been ablated. In this case, analytical results dependence on physical properties of the sample. This at times leads to the paradoxical situation where precisely matrix matched calibration s...

The determination of particle induced x-ray emission (PIXE) cross sections and the concentration of elements in a material require the knowledge of the target sample thickness. In this aim, measurements of the thickness by three different methods have been performed. These are absorption of X-rays by a 55 Fe source, transmission of alpha particles by a 241 Am source and Rutherford backscatterin...

Aerosol samples of PM10 particulates were examined with particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE and micro-PIXE ), inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, and X-ray absorption fine structures (XAFS) to investigate atmospheric Pb concentrations and its chemical species and to decide the source assignment. From the elemental analyses, lead concentrations were averaged at 369 and 237 ng.m-3 in ...

Multi element analysis of homogenised samples taken from three different areas of a single human liver was performed for 18 elements by proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Small (10--20%) but statistically significant variations between the element contents of these areas were found for Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb and Mo. These differences are not parallel to each other. The variation of el...

We designed a facile one-pot method to synthesize iron oxide/activated carbon nanotubes (IO/ACNTs) using as-prepared carbon nanotubes (APCNTs) modified by alkali solid-activation. The open-ended CNTs and iron oxide loading could be realized in one step. The resulting IO/ACNT hybrids, as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), exhibited high reversible lithium storage capacity and ex...

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been intensively studied to meet the increased demands for the high energy density of portable electronics and electric vehicles. The low specific capacity of the conventional graphite based anodes is one of the key factors that limit the capacity of LIBs. Transition metal oxides, such as NiO, MnO2 and Fe3O4, are known to be promising anode materials that are e...

In this thesis multivariate methods were used to evaluate pretreatment methods, such as normalization, as well as classification possibilities of data collected with Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). The LIBS system that FOI is currently developing for the purpose of classifying biological airborne threats was used to collect data from ten different samples in a laboratory environmen...

Several radioactive particles from the Palomares area have been analyzed with the nuclear microprobe of the National Accelerator Centre (CNA) in Seville exploring the advantages of combining -PIXE using a 5.5MeV 4He beam with conventional -PIXE analysis using 3MeV protons. The measurements performed with the -particles are more sensitive to the sample surface, while the results collected with p...

A method is described for assessing occupational exposures to chromium aerosols; it involves four procedures. The first, proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE), measures the total chromium. The second, electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), measures the oxidation state of the particle surfaces, and the third, which uses sym-diphenylcarbazide (DPQ, measures the proportion of water-sol...