AN INVESTIGATION INTO SPECIMEN PREPARATION TECHNIQUES SUITABLE FOR SOLID SAMPLES OF HIGHLY ALLOYED MATERIALS

摘要

To achieve high accuracy in the results obtained by X-ray fluorescence analysis, attention should be given to four main factors. Firstly, the samples used as specimens should be representative of the bulk material to be analysed. In addition, samples and standards should respond in an identical way during preparation and analysis so that no bias is introduced to the analytical results because of factors associated with, say, metallurgical structure. Secondly, the instrumental sources of error caused by mechanical, electrical and environmental changes in the instrument should be held at a very low level by the adoption of the suitable experimental technique.