Laser-induced ionisation spectroscopy, particularly for coal

An apparatus for analysing a material, comprising:

• a laser for impinging laser light onto the material to vaporise and ionise at least part of the material and to cause spectral emissions therefrom;
• a plurality of spectrum detection means for detecting spectral emissions from the material, each of said plurality of detection means detecting a part of the spectrum of the spectral emissions;
• a plurality of data collection means, each of the plurality of detection means being associated with a respective one of the plurality of spectrum detection means such that each of the plurality of data collection means collects data from its associated spectrum detection means;
• control means for controlling the firing of the laser and for controlling and synchronising the operation of the plurality of the spectrum detection means simultaneously to simultaneously detect the spectral emissions from the material across the spectrum of spectral emissions;
• and
• determining means connected to each of said plural data collection means for receiving data collected thereby for determining the presence and amount of one or more elements or species in the material, said determining means simultaneously analysing the data collected by each of the data collection means.