X-ray fluorescence analysis of liquid samples without helium gas

Helium gas is becoming more difficult to obtain these days due to decreased supply and increased demand. In X-ray fluorescence analysis, helium gas is often used in the analysis of liquid samples, while processing samples as solids is possible under a vacuum. In this article we introduce two liquid sample processing methods for measurements under a vacuum: the droplet method and the oil solidification method. In the droplet method a solution sample is dropped onto a filter paper and dried, and in the oil solidification method an oil sample is mixed with a solidifying agent and solidified.