Effect on Particle Size to Emitted X-Ray Intensity in Pellet Cement Sample Analyzed with WDXRF Spectrometer

Abstract

The particle size and heterogeneity effects on the analyte line were investigated for the analysis of powdered samples by X-ray fluorescence technique. In the analysis of samples utilizing the powder method, these effects caused serious errors with variations in particle size for the emitted intensity. The fluorescence intensities of some elements in pellet samples of cement (the range of particle sizes, < 32 µm, 32–38 µm, 38–45 µm, 45–63 µm, 45–75 µm, 75–106 µm, and 106–150 µm and, at press pressure 3.50 and 1.41 × 107 kg/m2), are measured using a wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectrometer for 14 pellets prepared according to the powder method. The results show that the K α X-ray fluorescence intensities from samples can effect about 17% maximum differences in normalized intensities within selected particle sizes. These experimental results were interpreted by comparing with the other experimental results in the literature.