Continuous Chemical Analysis of Molten Aluminum

We present a method of automatic, rapid, and frequent chemical analysis of liquid aluminum, suitable for real-time monitoring of dissolution and evaporation of alloying elements, continuous monitoring of chemical composition during casting, and for similar situations where an instantaneous measurement of melt chemistry is required. The method utilizes liquid-phase laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and is shown, for the investigated elements, to be comparable in accuracy to conventional off-line laboratory analysis of solid process samples cast from the melt. The automated analysis ensures repeatability and improves plant safety by avoiding manual casting of process samples.