Microscopy and Microanalysis

Table of Contents - 23 September 2011 - Volume 17, Issue 05  

Microanalysis Applications

Quantitative Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis of Submicrometric Particles Using a Scanning Electron Microscope

Luigi Paolettia1, Biagio M. Brunia1, Antonio Gianfagnaa2, Simona Mazziotti-Tagliania2 and Alessandro Pacellaa2 c1

a1 Dipartimento di Tecnologie e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, V.le Regina Elena, 299 – I-00161 Roma, Italy

a2 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”, P.le A.Moro, 5 – I-00185 Roma, Italy

Abstract

The quantitative scanning electron microscope–energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) analysis of a horneblende and two augite prismatic samples reduced to submicrometric particles was performed, and error due to the particle effects (“absent mass” and the “reduced absorption” effect) was minimized. Correction factors as a function of fragment size were obtained for O, Na, Mg, Si, Ca, and Fe. In addition, the influence of chemical composition of the samples used as standards (the matrix effect) on correction factors was evaluated. The results indicate that the absent mass effect is dominant for all elements except for the light elements O and Na, for which the reduced absorption effect is dominant. No significant matrix effect has been observed. By using corrected SEM-EDX data, the error on quantification of the element concentration has been estimated to be 3% relative for light elements and below 2% relative for heavy elements (notably, about 1% relative for Fe).

(Received April 07 2010)

(Accepted March 20 2011)

(Online publication September 06 2011)

Key words

Correspondence:

c1 Corresponding author. E-mail: alessandro.pacella@uniroma1.it