An original LIBS system based on TEA CO2 laser as a tool for determination of glass surface hardness

This study was carried out to examine the applicability of original laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) setup for determination of the surface hardness of lead glass as a function of its chemical composition. For this purpose, a set of five lead glass samples with different amount of ZrO2 was prepared. The LIBS measurements were carried out using TEA CO2 laser in the air at atmospheric pressure and without sample preparation. A ratio of the intensity between the Zr(II) 355.66 nm and Zr(I) 360.12 nm emission lines has been used to examine the hardness of the material. In addition, the surface hardness of glass samples was determined by Vickers’s indentation tests. Obtained results indicate a linear relationship of the measurements of hardness in glass samples between the LIBS and Vickers method. To show that LIBS based on TEA CO2 laser is an almost nondestructive technique, profilometric surface analysis was used. The proposed LIBS system is suitable not only for a spectrochemical analysis but also as an easy to use and cost-effective way to measure the surface hardness for all types and shapes of glass samples which are in some cases difficult to examine by standard Vicker’s method.