Dual imaging of uranium ore by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

The great potential in combining two elemental imaging techniques - Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is demonstrated for uranium ore sample investigation. Dual imaging provides the advantages of both methods – high speed, large area imaging and additional evaluation of the whole spectrum for LIBS, and high resolution, low detection limits and isotopic imaging for LA-ICP-MS. Special software, ILAPS, was created for data processing to ensure the consistency of the resulting element images and the possibility of their combination. This new method for merging LIBS and LA-ICP-MS imaging data allows the display of detailed structures on the background of the overall sample image. Information contained in the detailed structures together with an overall view of the sample was displayed in one image to visualise the complete data from both methods. The effectiveness and usefulness of this new approach were demonstrated in identifying the structures responsible for elements migration in the uranium ore sample.