The f-ratio quantification method applied to standard minerals with a cold field emission SEM/EDS

Abstract

The f-ratio method is a standard-based quantification method which was originally developed based on a cold field emission scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive spectroscopy (CFE-SEM/EDS) system. It incorporates traditional EDS experiments and Monte Carlo simulations, and standards with known compositions are needed to calibrate the differences between them. However, as a new quantification method, the f-ratio method still requires extensive validations to be performed in different systems. In this study, the f-ratio method was used to analyze three certified minerals: kyanite (Al2SiO5), albite (NaAlSi3O8) and orthoclase (KAlSi3O8), and the option of standards was extended to any standard specimen containing the target elements. The effects of standards and beam energies on the calibration factors and the quantification results were discussed, and no significant influence was observed. The quantification results were also compared with the conventional standardless analysis and the standard-based k-ratio method, and the results show the f-ratio method is capable to achieve both the merits of a satisfactory accuracy and simple experimental procedures.