Effect of particle size distribution in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy analysis of mesoporous V–SiO2 catalysts

In this paper, the effect of particle size on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis of mesoporous V–SiO2 catalyst samples was investigated. The measurements were realized on three LIBS devices with different parameters. Concentrations of V in samples used for LIBS experiments previously determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) varied from 1.2 to 4.7 w/w%. Granulometry of silica samples was modified by two grinding methods (conventional vibration mill and cryogenic mill) and three sets of samples with different particle size distributions were obtained. Ground samples were then deposited in the form of a thin layer on the adhesive tape a…