An X-ray fluorescence spectrometer with a pyroelectric X-ray generator and a secondary target for the determination of Cr in steel

An X-ray fluorescence (XRF) setup with a pyroelectric X-ray generator and a secondary target for the determination of Cr in steel is presented. The pyroelectric X-ray generator, which can be driven by a dry battery, is a low power X-ray source and emits X-rays over a large solid angle. X-rays emitted by this generator can be effectively put to use by a disk-shaped secondary target. An appropriate arrangement of (i) X-ray generator, (ii) sample support, (iii) secondary target, and (iv) detector enables secondary X-rays to irradiate the sample from a short distance. The secondary X-rays are emitted from a wide-area secondary target. The present arrangement also enables the sample to be placed near the detector. The short distance from the sample to both the secondary target and the detector enhances signal intensity. An absolute amount of 1.3 μg Cr can be detected by the present setup. A minimum detection limit of 0.09 wt.% Cr in steel by 1000-s measurement has been achieved.