Composition
Two commonly employed techniques to
non-destructively determine the composition of an unknown sample are X-ray
fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). X-ray fluorescence provides
elemental composition information for boron (B) through uranium (U) from
parts-per-million (PPM) to percent (%) levels. Using fundamental parameters (FP)
algorithms, XRF can provide quantitative analysis without the need for reference
standards. X-ray diffraction provides phase composition identification and can
distinguish the major, minor, and trace compounds present in a sample. XRD
analysis includes the mineral name of the substance, chemical formula,
crystalline system, and reference pattern number from the ICDD International
database. Standardless quantitative information can also be obtained from XRD
using Rietveld Analysis.
Systems
