How does an XRF spectrometer work and where can you use it

What is RoHS?

RoHS is a legal requirement set forth by EU legislation. It stands for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. This standard has been in effect since July 1, 2006. It is primarily used to control the materials and manufacturing processes of electrical equipment. It is also used in improving human health and environmental protection.

The goal of this standard is to eliminate six things from electrical products. These are mercury, lead, hexavalent chromium, cadmium, polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polybrominated biphenyls. Thus, RoHS testing is undertaken for a variety of product testing. This testing can be done using XRF spectrometers that are produced by LISUN.

What is an XRF Spectrometer?

X-ray fluorescence is commonly known as XRF. XRF is used to determine what elements make up specific materials. XRF analyzer spectrometers can determine the chemistry of a sample. This is done by detecting the fluorescence X-ray released by a sample when it is excited by a main X-ray source. XRF spectroscopy is an ideal technology for qualitative and quantitative investigation of material composition. This is because each element in a sample creates a set of characteristic fluorescent X-rays that is unique to that element.

RoHS Test Equipment EDX-2

X-ray fluorescence technology is one of the most straightforward, precise, and cost-effective ways for determining the chemical composition of a wide range of materials. It is non-destructive and dependable. Additionally, it requires no sample preparation for solid, liquid, or powdered samples.

For a qualitative examination, the covered element range begins with carbon and ends with fluorine for a quantitative study. This range depends on the analyzer. XRF offers detection limits at the sub-part per million level. It can also measure concentrations of up to 100 percent easily and simultaneously.

How does XRF work?

A controlled X-ray tube is used to irradiate a solid or liquid sample with high-energy X-rays. An electron from one of the atom’s inner orbital shells is expelled when an atom in the sample is attacked with an X-ray of sufficient energy. This x-ray has energy higher than the atom’s K or L shell binding energy.

The atom regains stability once an electron from one of the atom’s higher energy orbital shells fills the vacancy left in the inner orbital shell. The electron falls to a lower energy state by emitting a fluorescent X-ray. The particular difference in energy between two quantum states of the electron is equal to the energy of this X-ray. The basis of XRF analysis is the measurement of this energy.

How to interpret the XRF spectra

The majority of atoms have many electron orbitals. These include K shell, L shell and M shell amongst others. XRF peaks with variable intensities are formed when X-ray energy forces electrons to transfer in and out of these shell levels. Then they will appear in the spectrum, which is a graphical representation of X-ray intensity peaks as a function of energy peaks. The element’s peak energy is used to identify it, and the peak height/intensity is used to estimate its concentration.

What industries use XRF spectrometers?

XRF analyzer spectrometers are used to identify alloys, detect tramp elements, offer geochemical data, evaluate precious metals, and measure coating weight and plating thickness. This is done to guarantee material chemistry criteria are met. Typical applications of such equipment include the analysis of oils and fuels, plastics, rubber, and textiles, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, cosmetics and body care products, , minerals, ores, rocks, sands, cements, heat-resistant materials, glass, ceramics, and wafers. Along with this, the determination of coatings on paper, film, polyester, and metals can also be undertaken. The use of the equipment is further elaborated.

Oil and gas are tested for piping material positive material identification (PMI), which is crucial where flow accelerated corrosion, or sulfidic corrosion, is an issue. In the case of metal fabricating, it is done to verify that no erroneous or out-of-spec metals or alloys enter the manufacturing process by non-destructive elemental analysis. Automotive & aerospace are tested for metallic and coated parts inbound inspection and quality control. Scrap metal recycling enables quick and accurate scrap metal sorting, which is critical for improving workflow efficiency and profitability. Precious metal recycling is for assessing the grade of precious metals and preventing the entry of harmful elements into the recycling process.

Furthermore, mining & exploration is for locating and retrieving the most commercially valuable resources as rapidly as possible. Construction & environmental engineering is also included for risk assessment, hazardous site modelling, and quality control of remediation.

What are the benefits of XRF analysis?

XRF analysis is a reliable technology. It combines high precision and accuracy with a simple and quick sample preparation process. It’s easy to automate for use in high-throughput industrial settings. It also gives you both qualitative and quantitative data on a sample. You can also undertake rapid screening in a semi-quantitative analysis.

Is XRF Safe to Use?

When the tube is powered during the analysis, the analyzer emits a directed radiation beam. A reasonable effort should be made to keep radiation exposures as close to the dosage limits as possible. The ALARA concept governs this. It stands for As Low as Reasonably Achievable. Three elements that can help you reduce your radiation exposure are time, distance, and shielding.

It is important to remember to always focus a XRF analyzer directly at the sample and never toward a person or body part. This is to be done despite the fact that the radiation emitted by a XRF elemental analyzer is comparable to that emitted by a standard medical or dental X-ray.

Some safety measure should still be followed to prevent harm. This includes operators receiving radiation safety training. You should never point the instrument at yourself or others when the primary beam lights are activated. Holding samples during analysis is never a good idea. You should pay attention to the primary beam indicator lights as well. Respectfully handle and use. Keep your data safe by adhering to local storage regulations. Notify your Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) and analyzer vendor if you have a safety emergency.

LISUN Instruments Limited was found by LISUN GROUP in 2003. LISUN quality system has been strictly certified by ISO9001:2015. As a CIE Membership, LISUN products are designed based on CIE, IEC and other international or national standards. All products passed CE certificate and authenticated by the third party lab.

Our main products are Goniophotometer, Integrating Spheres, Spectroradiometer, Surge Generator, ESD Simulator Guns, EMI Receiver, EMC Test Equipment, Electrical Safety Tester, Environmental Chamber, Temperature Chamber, Climate Chamber, Thermal Chamber, Salt Spray Test, Dust Test Chamber, Waterproof Test, RoHS Test (EDXRF), Glow Wire Test and Needle Flame Test.

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