Portable grazing exit X-ray fluorescence system using a low-power X-ray tube

Ramon Silva Dos Santos,Davi Ferreira De Oliveira,Marcelino José Dos Anjos,Joaquim Teixeira De Assis

doi:10.15392/bjrs.v7i2a.714

Ramon Silva Dos Santos, Davi Ferreira De Oliveira + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.15392/bjrs.v7i2a.714

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Abstract

In this work was developed a portable system of grazing exit X-ray fluorescence (geometric 90° - 0°) that can be applied in several areas science and technology. GE-XRF portable system is formed by a mini X-ray tube of low power (anode of Au) and a SiPIN detector. The reflectors used as sample support (sampler carrier) were quartz discs. The grazing exit angle was experimentally determined by measuring a cooper solution (10 μg.g-1). The accuracy of the system was checked using multielement reference solution as standard reference material. The relative errors between measured and certified values are in the range of 4 to 19%. The first results showed a background was drastically reduced at grazing exit angles, enabling trace elemental analysis. The system of GE-XRF proved to be quite stable and reproducible. This paper shows that it is possible to produce a portable system of grazing exit X-ray fluorescence compact, efficient, low-cost and easy-to-handle instrumentation using a low power X-ray tube and a SiPIN compact detector.

Highlights

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) analysis is a well-known surface-sensitive and trace analytical method [1, 2]
Grazing exit X-ray fluorescence (GE-XRF) is a new development in X-ray fluorescence analysis related to TXRF [1]
In grazing exit X-ray fluorescence (GE-XRF) the primary X-ray beam irradiates the surface of the sample at an angle of 90°, with the XRF being detected at grazing exit angles

Summary

Introduction

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) analysis is a well-known surface-sensitive and trace analytical method [1, 2]. Grazing incidence and grazing exit XRF (GIE-XRF) is a combination of the two methods, wherein the primary beam is directed toward the carrier at grazing incidence and the XRF is detected at grazing exit. The configuration of the GE-XRF allows it to be combined with micro-XRF sources, making micrometric analysis, surface scanning analysis and mapping applications possible. This GE-μ-XRF can be employed using polycapillary X-ray optics [3, 6, 8 – 10]. This work presents the development of a portable grazing exit X-ray fluorescence (GE-XRF) system using a low-power X-ray tube. The development of this portable GE-XRF system was based on the study of Ashida and Tsuji [2]

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