5 reasons why XRF is the best chemical analysis method

Advancements in science and technology has  helped us to analyze different materials and understand their constitution. One of the technologies that has been at the forefront of this process is X-Ray Fluorescence, or XRF in short.

Simply put, XRF is an analysis method that helps us to understand the elemental composition of different materials. It is based on the principle that every element has a different wavelength and emits a different amount of energy.

Compared to other types of chemical analyses, XRF is the best, and here’s why.

Reduced contamination

XRF is most ideal for quantitative analysis because fluorescent X-ray can penetrate through all materials with high precision rates. This is important because some elements tend to react with each other and contaminate the entire sample. For example, chlorine can interact with lead from certain chemical analyses methods, and this can result in skewed results. XRF reduces this chances of contamination by working with elements directly.

Mixed sample

In general, a sample consists of elements that emit both low and high energy rays. Many chemical analyses focus either on capturing the low energy elements or the high energy ones. Again, this skews the results, so we don’t get the accurate answers.

XRF is a chemical analysis method that can detect both light and heavy elements, so it can produce the right results.

High penetration rate

X-rays are known for their high penetration rates and this means, they can reach through all the elements with high levels of precision. When the rays penetrate deep into each element, it is able to better analyze the composition of the material. Most other chemical analysis methods do not have same penetration levels, so the degree of understanding this composition is not as high as XRF.

Non-destructive method

XRF is a non-destructive method of analyzing the composition of different materials. The biggest advantage of this method is that you do not have to crush any material to understand it. Likewise, you do not need to apply any chemical solution to it either. You can simply keep the material as it is, without making any change to it, when you use XRF methods for analysis.

Simplified process

The process of XRF is highly simplified. It begins with the irradiation of high energy X-rays from a controlled X-ray tube. These rays are sent to liquid or solid samples, and in turn, this dislodges the electron’s inner orbital shell from each atom. As a result, this atom regains its stability back by moving an electron from its higher energy orbital shells. This process released a fluorescent X-ray which is equal to the difference in energy between the two quantum states of the electron. The measurement of this energy is the core process of XRF.

When compared to other chemical analysis methods, it is evident that XRF is greatly simplified and consumes less time too. There is no need for any dissolving or incubation time here, so the entire process is quick and effective.

Due to these reasons, XRF is the best chemical analysis method today.