Estimation of applicability of scattered radiation for XRF

Abstract

The applicability of coherently and incoherently scattered radiation was investigated on the example of quantifying the Nb content in wolframite. The calculated and experimental intensities of Nb K a -line for binary and multicomponent mixtures of Nb 2 O 5 with various matrices have been compared. The major oxides MgO, SiO 2 , CaO, Fe 2 O 3 , and a typical component of tungsten ore (Fe, Mn)WO 3 were used as the main matrices. Measurements were carried out using the energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer with Si(Li)-detector and radioactive isotope source 109 Cd. The analysis of data shows that when using the ratio of the intensities of coherently and incoherently scattered X-radiation of the excitation source the dependence of the analytical line intensity of niobium on the content of W in the samples is taken into account. The experimental results confirm the conclusions of the theoretical consideration. This technique was successfully used to study wolframite samples from the deposits of the Eastern andWestern Mongolia. A procedure for the determination of Cu, Mo and Fe concentrations in ores, copper and molybdenum concentrates, and enrichment waste was developed to control the process of enrichment at the mining company Erdenet,Mongolia. This procedure was based on using regression equations. The form of regression equations was chosen based on the theoretically calculated intensities. The comparison results of measurements using the newly developed technique and the standard-background method are presented. Keywords : X-ray spectral fluorescence analysis of ores and enrichment products, method of standard-background, theoretical simulation of matrix effects DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15826/analitika.2013.17.4.001 P.Zuzaan 1 , D.Bolortuya 1 , S.Davaa 1 , A.G.Revenko 2 1 Nuclear Research Center, National University of Mongolia , Sukhbaatar District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 2 Institute of the Earth’s Crust, SB RAS , Irkutsk, Russian Federation