High speed materials sorting using x-ray fluorescence

A high speed process of classifying a piece of material of unknown composition, the process comprising:

• irradiating the piece with x-rays from an x-ray source, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays;
• detecting the fluoresced x-rays from the piece with an x-ray detector;
• determining an x-ray fluorescence spectrum of the piece of material from the detected fluoresced x-rays;
• and
• classifying the piece of material from the determined x-ray fluorescence spectrum,
• wherein at least one of the steps of the irradiating and detecting includes conditioning the irradiating x-rays or the fluoresced x-rays, respectively, such that speed and accuracy of determining the x-ray fluorescence spectrum is not significantly compromised or complicated by extraneous x-rays.

A system for classifying a piece of material of unknown composition at high speeds, the system connected to a power supply, the system comprising:

• an x-ray source powered by the power supply to generate x-rays that irradiate the piece of material, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays;
• an x-ray detector to detect the fluoresced x-rays and produce as an output an x-ray signal representing the detected x-rays;
• and
• an x-ray fluorescence processing module, including:
• a spectrum acquisition module connected to the x-ray detector, the spectrum acquisition module to receive as an input the x-ray signal and to generate as an output an x-ray fluorescence spectrum;
• and
• a classification module to receive as an input the x-ray fluorescence spectrum and to generate as an output a classification signal indicating a classification of the piece of material,
• wherein the x-ray detector and x-ray fluorescence processing module are operative to detect the fluoresced x-rays and classify the piece, respectively, in a combined time less than one second.

A system for classifying a piece of material of unknown composition at high speeds, the system connected to a power supply, and comprising:

• an x-ray source powered by the power supply to generate x-rays that irradiate the piece of material and cause the piece to fluoresce characteristic x-rays;
• an x-ray detector to detect the fluoresced x-rays and produce as an output an x-ray signal representing the detected x-rays;
• and
• an x-ray fluorescence processing module, including:
• a spectrum acquisition module connected to the x-ray detector, the spectrum acquisition module to receive as an input the x-ray signal and to generate as an output an x-ray fluorescence spectrum;
• and
• a classification module to receive as an input the x-ray fluorescence spectrum and to generate as an output a classification signal indicating a classification of the piece of material,
• wherein the system is conditioned such that accuracy and speed of determining the x-ray fluorescence spectrum is not significantly compromised or complicated by extraneous x-rays.

A system for classifying a piece of material of unknown composition at high speeds, the system comprising:

• means for irradiating the piece with x-rays from an x-ray source, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays;
• means for detecting the fluoresced x-rays with an x-ray detector;
• means for determining an x-ray fluorescence spectrum of the piece of material from the detected fluoresced x-rays;
• and
• means for classifying the piece of material from the determined x-ray fluorescence spectrum,
• wherein the means for detecting and means for classifying are operative to detect the fluoresced x-rays and classify the piece, respectively, in a combined time of less than one second.

A system of classifying a piece of material of unknown composition, the system comprising:

• means for irradiating the piece with x-rays from an x-ray source, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays;
• means for detecting the fluoresced x-rays from the piece with an x-ray detector;
• means for determining an x-ray fluorescence spectrum of the piece of material from the detected fluoresced x-rays;
• and
• means for classifying the piece of material from the determined x-ray fluorescence spectrum, means for conditioning the irradiating x-rays or the fluoresced x-rays, respectively, such that speed and accuracy of determining of the x-ray fluorescence spectrum is not significantly compromised or complicated by extraneous x-rays.