Small Spot and Elemental Mapping Analysis in Metals using X-ray Fluorescence

In the metals industry, the final product is not totally homogenous, as elemental segregation can occur during cooling, and exogenous and endogenous inclusions can be present. Sometimes, when using wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) for analysis, samples containing these features are seen as potential problems to accurate analysis and must be corrected and homogenised as much as possible, such as by remelting the sample. Although this procedure can homogenise the overall composition of the product, vital information regarding the segregation, contamination and inclusion are completely lost. In this application note read how small spot and elemental mapping, a new way of elemental evaluation, can be used for improved process control, failure analysis and root cause investigations.