XRF And X-Ray Fluorescence

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4. XRF – X-Ray Fluorescence
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry is an elemental analysis technique with broad application in science and industry. XRF is based on the principle that individual atoms, when excited by an external energy source, emit X-ray photons of a characteristic energy or wavelength. By counting the number of photons of each energy emitted from a sample, the elements present may be identified and quantitated. Modern XRF instruments are capable of analyzing solid, liquid, and thin-film samples for both major and trace (ppm-level) components. The analysis is rapid and usually sample preparation is minimal or not required at all.
The identification of elements by X-ray methods is possible due to the characteristic radiation …show more content…

It competes with the Auger effect, which results in emission of a second photoelectron to regain stability. The relative numbers of excited atoms that fluoresce are described by the fluorescence yield, which increases with increasing atomic number for all three series (Jenkins 1988: 6). High energy electrons are not the only particles which can cause ejection of photoelectrons and subsequent fluorescent emission of characteristic radiation. High-energy X-ray photons can create the same effect, allowing us to excite a sample with the output of an X-ray tube or any source of photons of the proper energy. In fact, in some applications of XRF spectrometry, X-rays from a tube are used to excite a secondary fluorescer, which emits photons that in turn are used to excite the sample. When X-rays impinge upon a material, besides being absorbed, causing electron ejection and subsequent characteristic photon emission, they may also be transmitted or scattered. When an X-ray is scattered with no change in energy this is called Rayleigh scattering, and when a random amount of energy is lost the phenomenon is Compton scattering. Scattered X-rays are usually problematic in XRF, creating high levels of background radiation (Anzelmo 1987 Part

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