Polarization excitation device for X-ray fluorescence analysis
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
InventorThomas G. Dzubay
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Abstract
Samples are analyzed for their trace elemental composition by irradiating the samples with a beam of nearly monochromatic and polarized photons and detecting the fluorescent photons with an energy dispersive solid-state detector. The polarized photon source consists of an X-ray tube which emits characteristic X-rays and whose output is scattered at a right angle by a polarizing disc.
Claims10
A system for analyzing the trace elemental composition of a sample, said system comprising:
- a source of monochromatic and polarized X-ray photons, a housing for mounting a sample of the material to be analyzed and means for detecting the X-ray emanating from the sample.
A system utilizing a source of X-ray radiation for analyzing the trace elemental composition of a sample by means of a detector which resolves various groups of X-rays and records the resulting spectrum, said system comprising a housing for mounting said sample, a polarizer and a filter positioned within said housing, a first passage between said polarizer and said source of X-ray radiation, a second passage, containing said filter, between said polarizer and said sample, a third passage between said sample and said detector, said first, second and third passages being mutually orthogonally oriented.
A method of analyzing the composition of a sample of material for trace elements comprising the steps of irradiating the sample with a beam of monochromatic and polarized X-ray photons, resolving and detecting the various groups of X-rays, and recording the resulting spectrum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.