Speaker
Description
Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) seeds were studied to investigate their elemental composition and plasma characteristics, given their high oil and fiber content which creates a dense matrix affecting plasma formation and signal reproducibility. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) with a TEA CO₂ laser was applied to pressed flax seed pellets, while inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES) provided calibration and reliable quantification. Calibration was performed for major nutrients and trace elements, including K, Ca, Mg, and Fe, using analyte-to-internal standard intensity ratios, demonstrating high linearity with correlation coefficients (R²) above 0.98. Emission lines of additional elements such as P, Zn, and Mn were also detected, providing a comprehensive elemental profile. Plasma diagnostics indicated an electron temperature of ~11,000 K and electron number density of ~5 × 10¹⁶ cm⁻³, confirming stable plasma conditions despite the complex flax matrix. These results highlight the applicability of TEA CO₂ LIBS for rapid, multielemental analysis of oil-rich seeds, offering valuable insight for nutritional evaluation and quality control.
Keywords: laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS); TEA CO2 laser; flax; quantitative analysis; plasma diagnostics; matrix effects; ICP–OES calibration