Analyzing Geological Samples

The analysis of geological samples with Micro-XRF offers a wide variety of information on structure and composition of a specimen. This includes the distribution of elements, the identification and analysis of single grains and the execution of line scans. The high count rate capability and the excellent detector performance of the M4 TORNADO permit reliable data collection within a very short measurement time. The TurboSpeed stage allows very fast mapping and a measurement "on the fly".

Even very short acquisition times in the low millisecond range can already deliver first impressions of a material's structure. Longer measurement times ensure better spatial resolution due to better statistics and an enhanced contrast between pixels. A longer measurement time also offers the possibility to examine traces.

Micro X-ray fluorescence (Micro-XRF) analysis uses direct excitation of the sample with focused X-rays. This allows the combination of micrometer-scaled spatial resolution of a polycapillary lens with the trace element sensitivity of XRF, where the detection limits for most elements are a few tens to hundreds of ppm. No additional sample preparation is required for Micro-XRF. The high speed of the data acquisition and evaluation allows scanning multiple thin sections in less than one hour.

The M4 TORNADO is used in petrology for a quick compositional pre-screening of thin sections and for the digitalization of thin sections before optical or electron microscope studies. Large scan areas of up to 170 x 140 mm² allow to analyze up to 18 thin sections in a single run. The M4 TORNADO software supports comprehensive data presentation and evaluation. The visualization of the chemical map and the selection of areas of interest enable advanced post processing of the HyperMap data as phase analysis for fast identification of elements and mineral phases, quantitative analysis and the finding of trace elements.