µ-LIBS-SCAN FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE GEOMATERIALS

This article reports the experimental results obtained with the Micro-Laser-Induced-Breakdown Spectroscopy Scanning (µ-LIBS-Scan) technique and the optimization parameters obtained in the analysis of geological materials of interest for cultural heritage. The main improvements regard the use of a microscope with at least a 10X objective and a software-operated sample holder. In particular, the control software and a specific routine for the data processing were developed. An optimized routine using MATLAB® was developed for the LIBS technique applied to Cultural Heritage geomaterials. In particular, the work focused on the analysis of highly inhomogeneous materials, such as mortars and archaeological pottery with the aim of overcoming the measurement uncertainties. The followed strategy aimed to realize the elementary maps of representative portions of materials. Moreover, the use of different statistical methods for the data processing allowed overcoming the intrinsic drawbacks. The main results of this work were the capability to obtain virtual elemental cross-section of the analyzed samples and the possibility to carry out in a fast way quantitative information with proper precision and accuracy. There are still several aspects to be improved and carried out. For instance, a possible improvement could be the realization of a more compact and lightweight instrument, with a tunable laser and a 20X objective. Finally, the analysis code in a multiplatform software able to work on IOs, Android and Windows devices would be compiled.