Unraveling the Glass Composition

In our article from last week, we demonstrated the ease with which our LIBS machines analyze ceramic materials. Our achievement in the field of this heat-resistant material sparked the curiosity of a client interested in the analysis of another material.

The client’s inquiry involved the detection of boron, an enigma for many analytical techniques, in borosilicate glass. Since our AtomTrace devices work relentlessly even during the holiday season, we promptly dived into the analysis of these materials.

The Boron Enigma

As its name suggests, borosilicate glass contains boron, the element that enables great heat resistance of the glass material. Hence, such glass is commonly employed in laboratory glassware and optical components.  

Due to being one of the light elements, boron detection causes issues for many analytical techniques, such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). These traditional methods face significant problems in detecting such elements. However, AtomTrace devices reveal the presence of even light elements like boron with unparalleled ease, precision, and speed.

The figure below shows the spectral peak of boron in borosilicate glass. Our analysis also revealed the presence of silicon in both borosilicate and soda-lime glass samples, as the spectral peaks below illustrate.

The Journey to Calcium Detection

Since no glass of water can quench the thirst for knowledge, we also compared borosilicate glass to soda-lime glass. This glass is usually used for windows and glass containers. It contains calcium oxide that improves the chemical stability of the glass to make it more resistant to breaking, cracking, and other forms of physical stress.

The spectral peaks in the figure below indicate the intensity of calcium concentration in the soda-lime glass. Our LIBS machines detected no presence of calcium in borosilicate glass.

A Client’s Challenge Opens More Possibilities

The successful detection of boron in borosilicate glass represents a leap forward in elemental analysis. The complexity of glass, coupled with the challenge of identifying light elements, presents a formidable task that many conventional techniques struggle to surmount. Our LIBS devices, however, effortlessly analyze even light elements. Our LIBS technology proves with each new study that AtomTrace LIBS solutions readily reach previously unattainable heights.