IPERION HSIntegrating Platforms for the European Research Infrastructure ON Heritage Science

Micro X-ray fluorescence mapping (μXRF)

Micro X-ray fluorescence (µXRF) is an elemental analysis technique which allows for the examination of very small sample areas. Like conventional XRF instrumentation, micro X-ray fluorescence uses direct X-ray excitation to induce characteristic X-ray fluorescence emission from the sample for elemental analysis. Unlike conventional XRF, which has a typical spatial resolution ranging in diameter from several hundred micrometers up to several millimeters, µXRF uses X-ray optics to restrict the excitation beam size or focus the excitation beam to a small spot on the sample surface so that small features on the sample can be analyzed. Possibility to map large surfaces (over 10x10 cm2).

Fields of application

  • Cultural heritage

    architecture, art, decorative arts, painting

  • Natural heritage

    animal product, fossil, mineral, shell, skeleton, taxidermy collection

Materials

TOOLS

Micro-XRF scanner

The mobile micro-XRF scanner (MXRF) consists of a spectrometric head equipped with a low power microfocus X-ray tube (30W) with a Rh anode coupled to a focusing polycapillary optic. The spot of the beam coming out from the primary X-ray source is about 10 microns at 10 keV at a focus distance of 3.5 mm....