Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of Solid Metallurgical Samples

Abstract

A review of studies performed at the Division of Analytical Chemistry of the Department of Chemistry of Moscow State University on the determination of the elemental composition of solid samples of the metallurgical industry (coals, coke, copper–zinc ores) by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, one of the newest and promising methods of chemical analysis, is presented. This direction is developed at the Division in the last five years. A possibility of the determination of the elemental composition of solid samples as suspensions using the available and safe reagents without sample decomposition is shown. Special attention is paid to the problems of sample preparation and also to the assessment of the effect of the conditions of sample preparation on the results of analysis. Approaches to the improvement of performance characteristics are proposed and the conditions of the preparation of suspensions are optimized.