Comparison of Techniques of Melting in Sample Preparation for X-ray Fluorescence Analysis of Oxide Materials

Abstract

A wide range of instruments are available for fast analyses of various materials. Of them, the X-ray fluorescence spectrometer is one of the most powerful tools for analyses of refractory materials from metallurgical production of, e.g., pressed or fused samples of oxides and metals. Two methods of preparation of oxide samples by melting with alkali borates are well known: the one-phase method (a sample with a melting agent is melted and cooled down in the same PtAu crucible) and two-phase method (a sample with a melting agent is melted in PtAu crucible and then poured into a hot PtAu dish for cooling). For testing the melting methods, certified reference materials based on silicon and aluminum oxides were selected. Analytical results for samples prepared by the two methods are discussed.