Expansion of the WOT equipment - New X-ray fluorescence spectrometer put into operation
The new acquisition of the X-ray fluorescence spectrometer „M4 TORNADO“ from Bruker at the professorship expands the research possibilities through fast and non-destructive X-ray fluorescence analyses of solids, layers, particles and liquids from elements with the atomic number 11 (sodium).
The spectrometer is designed for sample characterisation using X-ray fluorescence with a small measuring spot. Its measurements provide information on composition and element distribution, even from volumes below the sample or component surface. The device is optimised for high-speed analyses of points, lines and 2D surface scans (element maps) of any type of sample, whether solid or liquid. Both inorganic and organic substances can also be analysed. The spectrometer works in a vacuum and is therefore able to analyse elements from sodium upwards. The extended analysis capability will improve and accelerate the Chair's future research into coated or transformed material surfaces as well as solid material development and interface analysis. In future, it will be possible to quickly and spatially resolve element contents and impurities, e.g. on electrolytically deposited Ni/P or FeCrNi alloy coatings, thermally sprayed coatings, steels or light metal alloys. The reduced measurement times due to the optimised X-ray excitation path and high-throughput detectors, which enable „on the fly“maps with dwell times of up to 1 ms, offer major advantages. The future samples (with masses of up to 7 kg) can be analysed non-destructively in the large vacuum chamber over an area of up to 190 × 160 mm². With an acquisition of up to 40 million pixels in one measurement with complete spectral information and camera image for each pixel, spectra, line scans and mappings, standard-based quantification and layer thickness analysis are possible. The powerful software also enables the extraction of any object sum spectra (ellipses, rectangles, polygons), the extraction of line profiles, the determination of elements that are only present at individual points and chemical phase analysis.
Picture:
View of the workplace of the X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (left: measuring chamber, right: evaluation station)
29.3.2021 – Equipment of the professorship ( thomas.mehner@mb… )
