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Lecture

X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry XRFS

In course

CH-410: Physical and chemical analyses of materials

The course relates on the use of electromagnetic (X-Ray) and corpuscular (electrons) radiations for physical and chemical analysis of solid materials. ...

Description

This lecture introduces X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRFS), a chemical analysis technique that uses X-rays emitted by a material when excited by an X-ray primary beam. It covers X-ray sources, X-ray production, and the interaction between X-rays and matter. The lecture explains the principles of XRFS, including X-ray focusing, X-ray selection, and the excitation conditions. It also delves into the qualitative and quantitative analysis using XRFS, discussing the excitation-relaxation processes, X-ray emission spectrum, and the detection of X-rays. Additionally, it explores the errors, matrix effects, and sources of uncertainty in quantitative analysis by internal calibration and standardless methods.

Instructor

Christophe Roussel

Habilitation à Diriger les Recherches (HDR) in chemistry at the Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay (Cachan, France)PhD Thesis in physical organic chemistry at the University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté (Besançon, France) / Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay (Cachan, France)

Official source

Related concepts (29)

X-ray fluorescence

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is the emission of characteristic "secondary" (or fluorescent) X-rays from a material that has been excited by being bombarded with high-energy X-rays or gamma rays. The phenomenon is widely used for elemental analysis and chemical analysis, particularly in the investigation of metals, glass, ceramics and building materials, and for research in geochemistry, forensic science, archaeology and art objects such as paintings.

X-ray

X-ray radiation, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 nanometers to 10 picometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz (3e16Hz to 3e19Hz) and energies in the range 124 keV to 145 eV, respectively. X-ray wavelengths are shorter than those of UV rays and typically longer than those of gamma rays.

X-ray tube

An X-ray tube is a vacuum tube that converts electrical input power into X-rays. The availability of this controllable source of X-rays created the field of radiography, the imaging of partly opaque objects with penetrating radiation. In contrast to other sources of ionizing radiation, X-rays are only produced as long as the X-ray tube is energized. X-ray tubes are also used in CT scanners, airport luggage scanners, X-ray crystallography, material and structure analysis, and for industrial inspection.

X-ray astronomy

X-ray astronomy is an observational branch of astronomy which deals with the study of X-ray observation and detection from astronomical objects. X-radiation is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere, so instruments to detect X-rays must be taken to high altitude by balloons, sounding rockets, and satellites. X-ray astronomy uses a type of space telescope that can see x-ray radiation which standard optical telescopes, such as the Mauna Kea Observatories, cannot.

X-ray spectroscopy

X-ray spectroscopy is a general term for several spectroscopic techniques for characterization of materials by using x-ray radiation. When an electron from the inner shell of an atom is excited by the energy of a photon, it moves to a higher energy level. When it returns to the low energy level, the energy which it previously gained by the excitation is emitted as a photon which has a wavelength that is characteristic for the element (there could be several characteristic wavelengths per element).

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