How the XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) Works

The XRF or X-ray fluorescence analyzers is a non-destructive handheld tool that is used
to determine the elemental composition of materials like soil. It does this by measuring x-rays
emitted by a sample when it is excited by a primary x-ray source. (Thermo) It is a major tool
used in geology for material identification especially in production environments, manufacturing
plants, and scrap metal processing.
The XRF is user friendly with an icon-based home screen and long battery life. It can
store up to 100,000 results including spectra and sample image which can be shared over Wi-Fi.
It is both customizable and lightweight with a battery that lasts up to 12 hours. (Atlas) This is
amazing for geologists who work mainly in the field because they have to travel far distances
often and carry everything that they bring with them.
The Purpose

of the XRF
The XRF sits in the hands of its
wielder much like a gun. When the trigger
is pulled instead of a bullet it emits an xray that bounces off of the atom in whatever you are shooting and
an electron from the atom is released. (Thermo) After this the atom

regains

stability by filling the hole of the lost electron with another

which in turn releases a fluorescent x-ray that is received by the

Preshow
wirelessly

Amp Detector. At this moment the information gathered will

on the user-friendly easy to read screen and can be exported
or by USB for use.

Who might use this tool?

The major users of this tool are geologists or people who have to take measurements of
certain elements in the ground. For example, in Park City Utah some manufacturers wanted to
build a new housing complex by an old railway system. They had to take soil samples of the
ground around the iron rails to see how badly the ground had been affected by lead. The tests
came back saying that the lead concentration was too high at 1,369 ppm (parts per million) in the
topsoil and was too hazardous to build on. (Diehl) So the city has to clean up the site of the
harmful metals before the land can be used for any purpose.

References
Thermo Fischer Scientific. (2015). XRF Technology. Thermo Scientific. 2015, Dec. 1.
Retrieved from: https://www.thermoscientific.com/content/tfs/en/about-us/generallanding-page/xrf-technology.html
Atlas Inspection Technologies. (2015). Hand Held PMI Analyzers. Atlas Inspection
Technologies. 2015, Dec. 2. Retrieved from:
https://www.thermoscientific.com/content/tfs/en/about-us/general-landing-page/xrftechnology.html
Diehl, Caleb. (2015, June 5). Lead is Found on Trail. Park Record. 2015, Dec. 2. Retrieved from:
http://www.parkrecord.com/ci_23391943/lead-is-found-trail?source=rss