Accurate measurement of magnesium content in alpha-olefins by Laser Induced Breakdown Technique

In this paper, results are presented on first application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique for quantitative determination of Mg concentration in alpha-olefins. It is demonstrated that this technique gives accuracies in Mg concentrations which are comparable with those of traditional methods, as ICP-OES, in short times and without need for sample preparation. Limits of detection for Mg of the order of 500 ppb are demonstrated. Moreover, a brief discussion about the realization of proper calibration curves and the definition of the limit of detection (LOD) is reported.