Laser Induced Breakdown Spectra of Coal Sample and Self-Absorption of the Spectral Line

The LIBS of one kind of household fuel coal was obtained with the first harmonic output 532 nm of an Nd . YAG laser as radiation source. With the assignment of the spectral lines, it was found that besides the elements C, Si, Mg, Fe, Al, Ca, Ti, Na and K, which are reported to be contained in coal, the presented sample also contains trace elements, such as Cd, Co, Hf,, Ir, Li, Mn, Ni, Rb, Sr, V, W, Zn, Zr etc, but the spectral lines corresponding to O and H elements did not appear in the spectra. This is owing to the facts that the transition probability of H and O atoms is small and the energy of the upper level for transition is higher. The results of measurement also show that the intensity of spectral line increases with the laser pulse energy and self-absorption of the spectral lines K766. 493 nm and K769. 921 nm will appear to some extent. Increasing laser energy further will make self-absorption more obvious. The presence of self-absorption can be attributed to two factors. One is the higher transition rate of K atoms, and the other is that the increase in laser intensity induces the enhancement of the particle number density in the plasma.