X-ray instrument
AssigneePANalytical B.V.
InventorsRoger Meier, Sebastian Gehrke, Karl-Ernst Wirth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
X-ray apparatus 10 includes an X-ray source (22), an X-ray detector (28) facing the X-ray source. Inlet (6) accepts a stream of particles and a guide system (18) guides the stream of particles (16) in free space between the X-ray source (22) and detector (28) so that X-ray analysis can be carried out on the particles in the stream (16) in a sample region (21) between the source (22) and the detector (28).
Claims11
An X-ray apparatus comprising:
- an X-ray source;
- an X-ray detector facing the X-ray source for detecting X-rays;
- an inlet for accepting a stream of particles;
- a guide system arranged to guide the stream of particles between the X-ray source and detector so that X-ray analysis can be carried out on the particles in the stream in an analysis region, between source and detector, the stream of particles being spaced from solid parts of the X-ray apparatus in the analysis region;
- wherein the guide system comprises a entrainment fluid inlet for creating a fluid stream and a mixing chamber for mixing the stream of particles with the fluid stream to deliver the particles in the stream through the sample region.
An X-ray apparatus according to claim I wherein the guide system is arranged to provide a sample stream of particles entrained in a fluid, the density of the sample stream having a density of between 1% and 70% of the density of the individual particles.
An X-ray apparatus according to claim I wherein the guide system comprises a nozzle connected to the inlet to direct the sample stream of particles between the source and detector.
An X-ray apparatus according to claim I wherein the X-ray source is on one side of the sample region arranged to transmit X-rays through the sample region to the detector for carrying out X-ray analysis as a transmission arrangement.
A method of operation of an X-ray apparatus, comprising:
- guiding a stream of particles in through a sample region;
- and
- transmitting X-rays from a source through the sample region along an X-ray path to a detector to measure the properties of the stream of particles in the sample region spaced from solid parts of the X-ray apparatus along the X-ray path;
- wherein the step of guiding the stream of particles includes creating a fluid stream and mixing the stream of particles with the fluid stream in a mixing chamber to deliver the stream of particles to the sample region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.