The relation between glass disks and XRF analysis

A quick overview

Fusion is a proven and reliable technique to prepare samples for X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, but many laboratory technicians still struggle to obtain accurate and reproducible analytical results with this method. We can address this issue by identifying and eliminating potential root causes that impact final analytical results. Some of these root causes include wrong primary or secondary standards, imprecise calibration of the XRF spectrometer, improper glass disk preparation methods, incompatibility between the glass disks and the XRF instrument, etc. Since the major potential causes of error are well known and documented, they can easily be pinpointed with the help of end-to-end expertise.

When XRF analysis fails to meet your expectations, actions are required!

Using fusion to prepare glass disks for XRF analysis is a common method for elemental analysis in scientific research and in the industry since this technique can produce the highest accuracy and precision (Anzelmo, 2016). Then why are many laboratories still struggling to produce reliable and reproducible results despite the proven high accuracy of an XRF spectrometer and the homogeneous samples delivered by the fusion technique? It is indeed frustrating when the important investments made in state-of-the-art XRF and fusion equipment do not yield the expected analytical results and consequently, the estimated financial pay-offs. This is a very common issue experienced by laboratories from all around the world, which can be solved by using the expertise of a single supplier for all steps of XRF analysis, including sample preparation by fusion.

This article describes some of the most common root causes leading to inaccurate XRF results and how they can be addressed at their origin. A case study will demonstrate the right approach to XRF analysis using glass disks.