New ED-XRF Application Briefs: Geological Materials and Petrochemical Products

SPECTRO Analytical Instruments released two new ED-XRF Application Briefs which refer to the new SPECTRO XEPOS ED-XRF analyser. It represents a quantum leap in ED-XRF technology and provides breakthrough advances in the multi-elemental analysis of major, minor, and trace element concentrations.

'Analysing Trace Elements in Pressed Pellets of Geological Materials Using ED-XRF'

Multi-elemental analysis of samples from geological and allied materials represents a critical task for spectrometric instruments. For geochemical exploration and environmental monitoring, ED-XRF instruments are often preferred because of their stability and ease of use for rapid screening analysis and precise elemental determination. ED-XRF instruments are a fast, precise, accurate, and economical solution for the analysis of major, minor, and trace elements.

This paper covers the use of the SPECTRO XEPOS for analysis of trace elements in samples of geological and allied materials, prepared as pressed powder pellets and using polarization, band-pass filter, and direct excitation technologies.

The results report that the SPECTRO XEPOS performed with high repeatability and excellent precision. The instrument also demonstrated very high spectral resolution and exceptionally low LODs for most elements tested. Calibration based on well-characterised samples showed very good correlation for a wide range of elements - including single-calibration analysis of oxides, sulfides, and organics.

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'Analysis of Twenty-Four Elements in Petrochemical Products'

Five key applications for the elemental analysis of petrochemical products are discussed in this report:  From blending control of fresh lubricants and the control  of additive packages to used oil analysis, sulfur in crude oil distillates as well as sulfur and other trace elements in crude oil and heavy fuel oil along with distillate burner fuels derived from waste mineral oils.

The new SPECTRO XEPOS was used for the analysis, and was set up with one single calibration to handle all of the petrochemical applications reported in this paper.

The excellent limit of detection (LOD) for sulfur (0.2 mg/kg) in combination with very long linear working ranges enabled an accurate determination of sulfur in all types of petrochemical products, ranging from gasoline up to fuel oil samples. By using a doubly curved HAPG crystal for monochromatization and polarization of the primary tube spectrum, in combination with direct excitation using Pd-K and Co-K radiation, the SPECTRO XEPOS attained a sensitivity that is unsurpassed for ED-XRF analysis and allowed an accurate trace element analysis for other applications such as used oil analysis, heavy fuel oil analysis, and recycled fuel oil analysis.

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