X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry allows both simple sample preparation and high precision analysis. The method is highly popular among various fields, including quality control and research & development. Recent advanced data processing techniques and higher instrument sensitivities have improved analytical accuracies in “standardless FP analysis” using Fundamental Parameter (FP) method which does not require standard samples. However, standard samples which are similar sample type to analysis samples are still required to create calibration curves in order to obtain high accuracy analysis results.
There are wide variety of analyzing elements and concentration ranges to analyze common oil types such as fuel oils of gasoline and heavy oil, lubricating oil, and waste oil. It requires high level knowledge of X-ray fluorescence analysis in order to purchase suitable commercial reference materials and create all calibration curves after setting proper measuring parameters. Furthermore, it requires high cost and time. Therefore, there has been high demands of simple analysis startup method for accurate analysis of various types of oils.
The new analysis package for oil analysis is designed for beginners of X-ray analysis to setup quantitative analysis of oils easily and quickly by supplying a package of data media consisting of intensities of standard samples, analytical parameters and drift correction samples.
Oil analysis is carried out by measuring oil sample using liquid cell directly filled with oil sample, which is covered by sample film. However, since the sample film mainly consists of light elements such as carbon and hydrogen, the film causes negative impacts to the sample analysis as follows:
- Since main components of oils are hydrocarbons added with oxygen, it is required to correct for the influence of composition variation of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
- For analysis of heavy elements in light matrix samples, incident X-rays penetrates into sample deeply and fluorescent X-rays generated in deep area can transmit sample area and detected. However, there are areas where generated fluorescence are not detected in deep area inside sample and the undetected area depends on X-ray optics of the spectrometer. This phenomenon is called geometry effect.
Moreover, there is a wide variety of sample films and selection depends on analysis type and purpose such as sensitivities, impurities, and durability against chemical characteristics of liquid and X-ray damage.
OIL-MULTI-PAK, application package for multielement analysis in oils provides solutions to solve the problems above allowing accurate analysis for wider range of oils, including used lubricating oil, lubricating oils with various types of base oils, and fuel oils such as heavy oil, diesel oil, and gasoline.