Transportable XRF

The first transportable instruments combined the use of small to medium power x-ray tube with a pinhole collimator for excitation and PIN diode or Silicon Drift detector. A small video camera was commonly added to visualize the inspected area. The use of two lase points attached to the excitation and detection channels and focusing into the crossing of the axes of these two devices served to illuminate the effectively inspected area.

More advanced instruments include x-ray focusing elements for attaining a spatial resolution in the order of a few tens of microns, or the possibility of translating the measurement head over medium size areas (XRF scanners).

Many devices of this kind are used in conservation laboratories for the inspection of art objects and in particular, easel and mural paintings.

The instrument available at NSIL has the following characteristics:

Aa part of an ongoing joint project with ICTP, the measurement head will be installed in a 3-axis translation stage 

Publication of interest:

IAEA XRF Newsletter, Issue N. 10, December 2005. https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Newsletters/XRF-NL-10.pdf