Development of total reflection x-ray fluorescence analysis at the Atominstitute of the Austrian Universities

✍ Scribed by Christina Streli

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 276 KB
• Volume: 29
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0049-8246
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4539(200005/06)29:3<203::aid-xrs410>3.0.co;2-p

✦ Synopsis

Total reflection x-ray fluorescence analysis (TXRF) has been developed systematically at the Atominstitute from 1974 continuously up to the present. It is now an internationally accepted and applied method of trace element analysis by energy-dispersive XRF in a special excitation mode competing with ICP-MS. The detection limits are in the picograms range, approaching the femtogram level using synchrotron radiation. Small sample masses are required to determine simultaneously a wide range of elements. The thin sample is placed on the smooth polished surface of a reflecting sample carrier, and a precise calibration can be performed easily. The historical development of Atominstitute activities is reported, together with the development of spectral modification elements and various sample reflector materials. Extension to detect low-and high-Z elements by K-shell excitation and the use of various excitation sources such as rotating anode tubes, special x-ray tubes and synchrotron radiation are described.