ABSTRACT
Most commercial atomic absorption instruments can determine only one element at a time. Exit slits and photomultiplier (PM) detectors are placed to capture the radiation of the wavelengths from the elements of interest. The electrical current produced by the PM detector is proportional to the concentration of the element emitting that light. X-ray fluorescence provides specific analyses of total elemental concentrations, without regard to chemical combinations. The sample is excited by a source of electromagnetic radiation. The energy of these characteristic X-rays identifies the element, and the intensity is a measure of the elements' concentration in the sample. On-line X-ray fluorescence analyzers can be configured in different ways to excite the process sample or to detect the characteristic fluorescence. A wide choice of sampling systems is available for continuous monitoring of liquids in pipelines or tanks, granular solids in chutes, parts on conveyors, coatings on moving sheets of metals, or pigments in moving plastics or paper sheets.
