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Amptek’s “XRF Kit” is a package designed to help an experienced user quickly begin doing elemental analysis via X-ray fluorescence (XRF). It includes hardware and software supplied by Amptek, which must be supplemented by some components from the user. Once this kit is assembled and the software configured and calibrated, one can begin doing simple analyses. This kit is general pupose, so is not tailored to a particular application, but can be the starting point for a customized system.
NOTE: The XRF Kit is available with any Si-PIN or SDD detector. See the Selection Guide.
The user must supply a Windows XP SP3 or later PC with three (3) available USB ports, radiation shielding and an enclosure, and a sample mount or holder.
Complete XRF System Includes |  Figure 2. The X-123 and Mini-X on the MP1 mounting plate. |
Figure 3. The XRF kit.
NOTE: The XRF Kit is available with any Si-PIN or SDD detector. See the Selection Guide.
This kit contains all of the critical hardware and software required to do energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) but it is not a turn-key system. It requires not only assembly but also fabrication of radiation shielding and sample mount hardware, configuration of the hardware and software, and calibration.
A turn-key system is generally designed to handle a wide range of measurement applications. If a user has a specific application, particularly one that is challenging for turn-key systems, the Experiment’s Kit lets the user optimize the entire system for that one application. It is a very powerful tool for specific and challenging measurement applications. But to obtain its advantages, the user must invest the time to fully optimize the hardware, the software, the calibration procedures, and so on.
A turn-key system is designed for an operator with minimal training. The operator turns on the system, takes a measurement, and the system gives the answer. The designers of the turn-key system have already optimized the configuration, calibrated the system, and evaluated its measurement uncertainty. The Experimenter’s Kit requires a user to carry out these steps and to have the knowledge to carry them out. It is possible to use the Experimenter’s Kit to fabricate a prototype of an OEM system, which is simple to use, but this requires development effort.
At a minimum, you need to fabricate (1) a fixture to hold the sample in place and (2) radiation shielding.
One of the most important considerations in XRF is how you hold the sample: the geometry between the excitation source, the sample, and the detector must be fixed. If it varies, by even a small amount, there will be important variations in the analytical result. The fixture to hold the sample has to be designed around the sample so is not provided by Amptek, Inc.
Radiation safety is very important. The X-ray tube represents a personnel hazard if it is not shielded properly and if interlocks are not used to ensure shielding is in place. The shielding must prevent accidental personnel exposure but must permit easy access to the samples and should not be too massive (for portable systems). In addition, one must ensure that material in the shield (e.g. Pb) does not produce X-rays measured by the detector, since these would interfere with measurements. The shield has to be designed around the sample so is not provided by Amptek, Inc. The Mini-X includes hardware to simplify safety interlocks and warnings (blinking lights, audible beepers) but the user is responsible for assuring that the complete system meets any application radiation safety requirements.
Revised November 19, 2010