EVALUATION OF PRESSED POWDERS AND THIN SECTION STANDARDS FOR MULTI-ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS BY CONVENTIONAL AND MICRO-PIXE ANALYSIS

Abstract

For muti-elemental analysis, various standards are used to quantify the elements consists of environmental and biological samples. In this paper two different configuration standards, pressed powders and thin section standards, were assessed for their purpose as standards by conventional and micro-PIXE analysis. Homogeneity of manganese, iron, zinc ( Zn ), copper and yttrium added to pressed powder standard materials were validated and the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the X-ray intensity of the standards was <10% within the range, 62.5–250 µg/g. We established linear relationships between the metal concentration and the specific X-ray intensity of standards containing up to 250 µg/g of these metals. A homogenous distribution of Zn added to thin section standard materials was also confirmed by 10-µm-step scanning of the standard within the range, 50–250 µg/g (RSD ~ 10%). The calibration line between the X-ray intensity obtained from a 10-µm2 area and the metal concentration was acceptable.