X-ray fluorescence (XRF) in the investigation of the composition of earth materials: a review and an overview

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry is a well-known, well-established and widely applied technique in the determination of many major elemental compositions of earth materials. XRF confers the ability to analyse solid samples non-destructively through X-radiation. The orderliness and clarity of its emission spectrum, its great accuracy and precision make this technique a geochemical method of choice in mineralogy and investigation of the chemical composition of earth materials. There are limitations regarding the age and calibration of instruments, costs of setting up, matrix effects to be considered and the stringent sets of standards; however, XRF laboratory analyses remain the standard technique for providing high-quality geochemical data analyses in the investigation of earth elemental composition. With further improvements in XRF technology, it is expected that this technique will be of continued importance/utility in geological and geomorphological investigations.

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