Areas for Improvement in XRF Analysis of Low Atomic Number Elements

Abstract

Accurate analysis of the light elements has been, from the early applications of X-ray fluorescence spectrometry a struggle compared to the determination of heavy elements in the same matrices. In contrast, there has been virtually no upper limit to the atomic number of the element that could be determined. The lower limit, however, has been continuously adjusted downward through the years. Clearly, the sensitivity as well as the lower limit of detection for the heavy elements have also been improved, but the effect is Jess striking than the advances made in the region of tight element performance. This paper deals specifically with wavelength dispersive sequential x-ray fluorescence spectrometry, although some of the observations made are equally applicable to energy dispersive spectrometry.