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X-Ray Techniques

The evolution of various X-ray techniques helps many industries from the medical field to industrial designs. An X-ray helps determine certain chemical elements and properties of a given material to make more accurate diagnosis or research into a medical, scientific or industrial problem or concern. It also determines other aspects that help improve the studies, treatments and developments of a condition or product.



Modern X-ray techniques are based on systems generally requiring lower dosage of radiation than older versions.

  1. X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

    • X-ray fluorescence spectrometry is a non-destructive analytical technique that uses X-rays generated within a specimen to identify and determine the concentrations of specific elements present in solid, powdered and liquid samples. This process measures the individual component wavelengths of the fluorescent emission produced by the sample in an X-ray. It is capable of measuring elements and tracing levels often below one part per million.

      X-ray fluorescence is widely used for elemental and chemical analysis, especially in medical cases and investigation of metals, glass, ceramics and building materials. It is also beneficial for research and applications in geochemistry, forensic science and archaeology.

    X-ray Crystallography

    • X-ray crystallography is an experimental technique that determines the arrangement of atoms within a crystal. It allows researchers to grow solid crystals of the molecules being studied, then they execute blasts of X-rays lasting from a few seconds to several hours. The process utilizes aiming high-powered X-rays at a tiny crystal containing trillions of identical molecules, then the pattern produced from the X-rays is recorded and analyzed to reveal the nature of the lattice of the atoms.

      Crystallographers precisely rotate the crystal by entering the desired orientation into a computer equipped to control the X-ray apparatus. The technique enables them to capture how the crystal scatters or diffracts X-rays in three dimensions.

    X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

    • X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is a quantitative spectroscopic technique and a chemical analysis technique that measures the elemental composition, empirical formula, chemical state and electronic state of the elements existing within a given material.

      As a surface-sensitive technique, it is used to analyze the surface chemistry of a material through X-rays ejecting electrons from inner-shell orbitals. It is also useful in identifying the oxidation state of an atom and acquiring significant information for elemental analysis of chemical state information of various elements. It has a sampling volume that extends from the surface to a depth of about 50 to 70 Angstroms.

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