Detection of bromine in thermoplasts from consumer electronics by laser-induced plasma spectroscopy

Laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS) was utilized for the detection of bromine in thermoplasts with flame retardants. For detection of bromine in the VUV region and UV/Vis/NIR region, two different experimental set-ups were realized. A time-resolved study of the plasma emission indicated that the detection of atomic Br lines in the VUV was complicated by the formation of molecular oxygen in the plasma. However, the limit of detection for bromine in the VUV region at 130.99 nm was significantly improved compared to the detection limit determined in the NIR region. With an optical path purged with argon, VUV-LIPS is feasible for process analysis.