Alkaline earth metals are the six chemical elements that are in group two of the periodic table. The elements consist of beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), and radium (Ra).

All of these metals (apart from radium) and their compounds are used in commercial applications. Both magnesium and calcium occur frequently in nature and are a significant part of many geological and biological processes.

Fusion is the name given to chemical attacks on solid samples to convert them into compounds that are transformed into a solution easily. These compounds are a transitional step between the initial sample and the solution that is employed later in any analytical process.

Benefit of Using Lithium Tetraborate for Fusion

Lithium metaborate (LiBO2) is a chemical contact which is employed in borate fusion for x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis as well as in fusion flux mixtures for additional sample preparation techniques. Lithium metaborate is extremely reactive with acidic samples and has a high melting point meaning it is not volatile. This is why lithium metaborate is so well-suited to wet chemistry applications.

What is Lithium Metaborate Used For?

Lithium metaborate is often combined with lithium tetraborate to create fusion fluxes of a range of ratios which have varying pH levels and XRF sample preparation applications. A granular x-ray flux combination of 35.3% tetraborate with 64.7% lithium metaborate can be universally applied to alumino-silicates and works well in ...

X-ray fluorescence is a process in which fluorescent x-rays are emitted from a substance which has been excited by gamma rays or X-rays. This process can be used as an analytical procedure which is non-harmful, working to evaluate the chemistry and material composition of a sample. This is an extremely versatile technique which can be beneficial for a broad range of applications to analyze a large number of materials across the periodic table.

How does X-ray Fluorescence Work?

X-ray fluorescence relies on the process of ionization, where an atom gains a positive or negative charge by losing or gaining electrons to create ions. Atoms inside a material can ionize when exposed to short wavelength X-ray beams and gamma rays.

When these are processed, an...

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