Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-gtxcr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T01:38:14.024Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Confocal Micro X-Ray Fluorescence: A New Paradigm in Materials Characterization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2018

Brian M. Patterson*
Affiliation:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
George J. Havrilla
Affiliation:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Kimberly A. DeFriend
Affiliation:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Micro x-ray fluorescence (MXRF) is a microscopic analysis and imaging technique that is used to characterize the elements in a material non-destructively. Micro XRF instruments use an x-ray source to shine x-rays on a sample, and a detector to detect the characteristic x-rays given off. These fluorescent x-rays have very specific energies corresponding to specific electron energy transitions. Therefore, it is possible to detect and identify all of the elements present in a sample (typically above sodium) as well as measure their concentrations. This technique is widely used for the characterization of materials including polymer and metallic foams, powder samples, forensics applications, geological samples, works of art and nuclear fuels. Commercial MXRF instruments use a fused silica optic (mono or polycapillary) to focus the x-rays on the sample with no optic on the detector (Figure 1a).

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2008

References

1. Patterson, B. M., Havrilla, G. J., and Schoonover, J. R., Appl. Spectrosc. 60, 10, 1103 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2. Havrilla, G. J., Abstracts of Papers, 223rd ACS National Meeting, Orlando, FL, United States, April 7-11, 2002, NUCL (2002).Google Scholar
3. Keiter, P. A. and Kyrala, G. A., Review of Scientific Instruments 75, 10, Pt. 2, 4057 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar