Rapid analysis of energetic and geo-materials using LIBS

The laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique has been used to analyze a diverse array of materials for several decades. LIBS is ideal for rapid materials analysis since data can be collected in real time with no sample preparation. The coupling of LIBS with multivariate analysis has increased in recent years and allows for rapid processing of spectral information for qualitative or quantitative analysis. We will discuss several examples of how LIBS and multivariate analysis has been used to classify geological and energetic materials at the United States Army Research Laboratory. It is important to understand the parameters that influence the results and the limitations of multivariate analysis for LIBS applications.