ERIC Number: EJ1234594
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Nov
Pages: 3
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
Matrix Effect Corrections in X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry
Journal of Chemical Education, v96 n11 p2597-2599 Nov 2019
X-ray fluorescence is subject to significant matrix effects, which must be corrected in order to obtain accurate quantitative results. These are due to both absorption and enhancement effects, which are a consequence of the fact that both the analyte and the matrix absorb and fluoresce in the X-ray region, and this affects the magnitude of the analyte signal. Instruments, especially hand-held energy-dispersive X-ray analyzers designed for use by nontechnical personnel, typically come with software that use general algorithms that apply the appropriate matrix effect corrections without user involvement. Though user-friendly, this approach obscures the steps needed to obtain accurate quantitative results. In this laboratory exercise students obtain X-ray fluorescence data for both elements in binary mixtures of metal powders. The matrix effect is corrected using the analyte and matrix measurement data and a simple influence factor model. The exercise gives students a better sense of matrix effects and illustrates one approach to correcting for them.
Descriptors: College Science, Undergraduate Study, Science Instruction, Chemistry, Science Laboratories, Energy, Radiology, Measurement, Metallurgy
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A