SELF TEST 4.2

Can’t detect carbon in the sample

Can’t detect lighter elements than aluminium

For the quantitative analysis, minimum of 1 g sample powder is needed

Impossible to analyse directly amorpheous materials

XRD can be used to determine elemental composition of the sample

XRD can be used to identify crystalline materials

XRD and XRF can be used to identify liquid materials

XRD can be used to identify amorphous materials

XRF can be used to determine elemental composition of the sample

XRF can be used to determine the structure of crystalline materials

… measuring diffraction angles and the intensities of diffraction peaks

… quantitative analysis and for that only 1 mg of sample is needed

 … determining bond types in the samples

 … measuring crystalline structure of the sample

Large database of known crystalline structures

Possibility to perform in-situ analyses

No sample preparation

Computer-aided material identification

Elemental mapping possibility

Cost-effective

Fast elemental analysis

Possibility to perform accurate quantitative analysis

In WD-XRF, all the emitted fluorescence radiation reaches the detector at once; in ED-XRF, the detector detects all the fluorescent X-rays element by element

WD-XRF uses pulse-height discriminator to electronically classify the results; ED-XRF does not have an automatic classifier

ED-XRF uses pulse-height discriminator to electronically classify the results; WD-XRF does not have an automatic classifier

In ED-XRF, all the emitted fluorescence radiation reaches the detector at once; in WD-XRF, the detector detects all the fluorescent X-rays element by element

Amorphous pigments in the papers

Cellulose-based fibres in the textiles

Minerals in the clays

Crystalline pigments in the paints

Binders in the paints

Resins in the varnishes

It is possible to determine which crystalline phases are in a mixture

It is possible to determine if amorphous material is present in the mixture

It is possible to identify all the inorganic and organic materials

Analysis of XRD patterns is complicated and is typically done by a specialist

For the interpretation, library of known crystalline structures is used

Interpretation of XRD diffractogram is easier compared to the interpretation of WD-XRF spectrum

No sample preparation needed

Enables direct analysis from the object surface

A cross-section of the paint sample can be analysed

Ground samples needed for quantitative analysis

Easy to use

Computer-aided material identification

Non-destructive

Cost-effective

Mineralogy effects are eliminated

The particle size effects are eliminated

The method is relatively easy

Less material is needed for sample preparation