Analysis of aluminosilicate materials by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Abstract

The high precision of X-ray fluorescence spectrometric analysis is often adversely affected by various interfering factors. In the analysis of aluminosilicate materials, mineralogical, particle-size and surface-finish effects can be eliminated by fusing the sample with a flux and inserting the specimen into the spectrometer as a polished cast disc.

Inter-element effects can be overcome in several ways and in this work two methods are reported: a narrow range calibration, with slightly diluted specimens, for felspathic materials, and a multiple dilution method to cover a wide range of clays and refractories.

Several examples of felspathic materials have been analysed very carefully by a combination of chemical and spectrochemical methods, and the results are compared with those from the X-ray spectrometric method described. The X-ray spectrometric method appears to offer advantages in cost and time, and the results obtained are satisfactory for control analysis.

The multiple dilution method involves the use of standards that consist of pure compounds. This method was used to analyse a series of samples, including some commercially available standards. The results obtained indicate that the X-ray spectrometric method is considerably faster than the more commonly used combined methods, and that its accuracy is at least as good for normal control analysis.

The multiple dilution method should be applicable to a wide range of materials, but it is dependent upon a sophisticated and carefully performed specimen preparation technique.