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Why Reference Materials are Important in XRF Analysis
Reference materials are controls used to validate the quality and traceability of a sample and to validate the methods used to analyze these materials. Reference materials are often used in analytical chemistry to perform these validations, as most analytical instruments gather comparative data. A comparison of the reference material and the sample under test provides a range of information in XRF analysis, including the coating thickness and other material surface properties.
Different Types of Reference Materials
Depending on the product under analysis there is a range of reference materials that can be employed.
Pure chemicals are often used, especially in applications that require chemical purity or trace chemical analysis. Reference materials c...
Choosing a Flux for XRF Sample Preparation
When performing the fusion method of XRF sample preparation, a flux is a chemical used to dissolve an oxidized sample to produce a fused bead that is free of any mineral structures. Borate fusion is a popular technique and there are a variety of chemicals that can be used as a flux for this method. This blog post will outline some of the factors that should be considered when choosing a flux and the options available.
Flux Considerations
Depending on your application requirements there are various factors that should be considered before selecting a flux.
The purity of the flux can be critical in applications where trace level accuracy is needed. Ensuring high levels of purity is also important to reduce the risk of any sample contamination and back...
What is X-Ray Fluorescence?
X-ray fluorescence is the phenomenon of fluorescent x-rays being emitted from a material that is excited with gamma rays or x-rays. The phenomenon is used as a non-destructive analytical technique to determine the chemistry and material composition of a sample.
The technique is extremely versatile and can be used to analyze a wide range of materials for most of the periodic table. This blog post will discuss x-ray fluorescence in more detail.
How Does X-Ray Fluorescence Work?
X-ray fluorescence works on the process of ionization, which is where an atom receives a positive or negative charge by gaining or losing electrons to form ions. For x-ray fluorescence, atoms within a material may ionize when it is exposed to gamma rays or short wavelength x-r...
