Application corner

Steel coating plays an important role in preventing corrosion of steel samples. Therefore, an understanding of coatings can help in improving the steel properties. XRF is a powerful technique for measuring thickness and composition of coatings. We carried out non-destructive thickness and composition analysis of Zinc-Nickel coating on steel using the MESA-50 X-ray fluorescence analyzer.

Identification of pigments is important in the archaeological and art research fields. Some pigments were used during specific times and then were no longer used in later times. Therefore, we can estimate the period when artwork was created through identification of the pigments. Micro-XRF is an effective pre-screening analytical technique to narrow down the candidates of multiple pigments used on a painting, thanks to its non-destructive approach and imaging capability.

We introduce non-destructive failure analysis on a large membrane electrode assembly (MEA) from a commercial PEMFC stack using a HORIBA XGT-9000SL, a micro-XRF with an extra-large chamber capacity. Thanks to the chamber capacity, we successfully performed non-destructive elemental imaging on a defective area without cutting the sample, and we found unexpected distributions of Fe, Ni, Mn and Cr within the defective area, and that the elements are present in the MEA as a result of possible degradation of the bipolar plate.

Pigments are important clues to the historical background of artworks. This application note introduces elemental map imaging performed on Vincent van Gogh’s oil painting “Flower Vase with Thistles” using the XGT-9000SL. The results reveal that elemental compositions of the pigments used on the painting were different from ones previously reported to have been used by van Gogh. It suggests that this painting was a replica of the artwork.

This application note introduces pigment identification using micro-XRF and Raman microscopy on a Japanese flag “Hinomaru”, which is presumed to be the oldest and designed by an ancient Japanese Emperor Go-Daigo. The two spectroscopic analyses identified that the red pigment used on the flag matched the cinnabar ore (Mercury(II) sulfide) mined from the Mine near the place where the Emperor lived.

We introduce a non-destructive screening method for gemstone counterfeit analysis using a HORIBA XGT-9000 X-ray Analytical Microscope. We analyzed two emeralds, and without any sample destruction, we could successfully determine that one of them was an imitated product made of a green-colored glass.

The XGT-9000 Series can be used for identification of trace evidences such as collected gunshot residues, glass fragments, and fibers with sizes even down to tens of micron.

Spectroscopic analysis can reveal the origin of cultural heritages and the historical background at the time. This application note introduces research of a dragonfly eye bead found in a tomb in China. Using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray analytical microscopy, the bead was found to be from the Eastern Mediterranean region and the result suggested China had cultural and economic exchanges with them during that era.

Rice mainly consists of starch, but it also contains inorganic nutrients, and it has been reported that different inorganic elements have different distributions in a rice grain. We carried out elemental distribution imaging of inorganic nutrients with the HORIBA XGT-9000 X-ray analytical microscope. The result successfully visualized that P and K were accumulated in specific areas of a rice grain, while S and Zn were uniformly distributed within a rice grain.

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are getting more and more popular as a clean energy, and a lot of research is being done to achieve better durability for further spread into more commercial phase.

Calcium micro-nodules are identified within mulberry leaves, and XRF mapped imaging provides a correlation between nodule concentration and leaf age. In a seperate study, the uptake of heavy element pollutants by plants is investigated, with high resolution images quickly acquired to show the distribution of lead through the leaf.

We will introduce a non-destructive method for garnet characterization. In this application note, we used a HORIBA XGT-9000 X-ray Analytical Microscope (micro-XRF) with a 100 μm ultra-high intensity probe to get the elemental composition information of a small garnet stone. Thanks to the micro-spot with high intensity, we could detect the key elements of the small garnet stone just in 30 seconds, and the obtained elemental composition suggested that the garnet stone had similar composition to the chrome poor pyrope from Monte Suímo, Portugal.

Pigments used in an ancient Nepalese manuscript have been analysed and assigned and an ancient glass burial ornament has been probed to identify the specific colouring additives used.

We introduced a fast and non-destructive imaging method for inorganic minerals on a multivitamin supplement tablet containing various essential minerals to body functions. We used the HORIBA XGT-9000 X-ray Analytical Microscope for the imaging, and we could visualize the distribution of the key inorganic elements on the tablet less than 20 minutes even though the concentration of the elements are tens of mg or less per tablet.

We obtained lithium-ion battery cells from 3 different commercial electric vehicles manufactured by an automotive company for the reverse engineering investigation. We disassembled and analyzed each of the cathode sheets, the anode sheets, and the separator sheets using multiple analytical instruments.

A wide range of elements are present in plants. Some elements exist to play important roles as plant nutrients or enzymes, and some elements accumulate unexpectedly due to environmental pollution. While it is important to understand the bulk concentrations of individual elements from a nutritional and ecotoxicological perspective, the distribution of elements is also important for a better understanding of the mechanisms of metabolism and uptake in plants.

The effect of zinc on gastric ulcer healing has been investigated - mapped imaging of tissue samples shows evidence of zinc accumulation within the ulcerated tissue. In a separate study a fish otolith ('ear bone') has been analysed to reveal its heterogeneous elemental composition and physical structure.

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are getting more and more popular as a clean energy, and a lot of research is being done to achieve better durability for further spread into more commercial phase.

Edible insects have received attention as a possible solution as a supplemental source to reduce food insecurity because of their nutritional benefits such as protein, fat, and minerals. Micro-XRF can be used to understand the elemental distributions in insects non-destructively. In this application note, we carried out elemental map imaging on edible crickets using a HORIBA XGT-9000 X-ray analytical microscope and revealed the rich source of zinc in their jaws.

We carried out plating thickness and composition analysis on dual-layer NiP/Au plating on Cu contacts on a flexible printed circuit using a HORIBA X-ray analytical microscope. We successfully detected Au of ultra-thin layer without any sample preparation. The thickness results of Au and NiP plating were consistent with the provided values and with good repeatability.

Simultaneous imaging of transmission X-rays and fluorescent X-rays is effective to find defects inside electronic components.

A plastic toy is analysed for the presence of lead within its many components. Spot analysis shows concentrations of this harmful element can reach as high as 0.3%. XRF imaging allows its distribution across the toy to be quickly characterised.

Fast analysis of microscopic metal particles is an important application for engineering (e.g. engine wear analysis). Micro-XRF scanning and spot analysis of specific fragments identifies their chemical composition.

The HORIBA micro-XRF system performs two applications for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) catalyst research: One is Pt catalyst uniformity imaging within a catalyst sheet thanks to the imaging capability. The other is Pt catalyst loading mass determination on average, which is a popular application of EDXRF. Through the experiments, we successfully visualized aggregates of Pt catalyst in our samples, and we also got a good linearity of calibration curve for Pt catalyst loading mass determination.

The EDXRF technique is used for the elemental analysis not only of solids, but also of liquids such as plating solution thanks to dedicated sample cells. This specific example shows the ability of MESA-50 for electrolytic baths follow-up by characterizing the degradation of Zn-Ni galvanization baths.

We analyzed a Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) cathode simulation sample using a HORIBA XGT-9000 X-ray analytical microscope and performed foreign matters analysis with the Particle Finding Module software.

Our XGT-9000SL allows failure analysis at a microscopic level on a large sample, non-destructively, thanks to its large chamber capacity and its microprobes.

We used the XGT-9000 to analyze foreign particles on a lithium ion battery material. We made a NMC cathode simulation sample and added Cu particles in the sample as simulated metal foreign matter.

We introduce a fast and non-destructive method for Pt catalyst loading mass determination in catalyst sheet of proton exchange membrane fuel cell using a benchtop EDXRF analyzer. We made a calibration curve by analyzing multiple in-house samples with different Pt loading masses (0.052 - 0.39 mg/cm2) and determined catalyst loading mass of a sample using the curve. Our result showed that the curve had a good linearity and that the calculated result was consistent with the labeled value of the sample with good repeatability.

The combination of microbeam and thickness measurement capability makes the XGT-9000 a useful tool for the QC of semiconductors, which feature thin and narrow patterns. Thickness sensitivity depends on elements traced, but can be at the Angstrom level.

The XGT-9000 can detect and determine the composition of foreign particles, and therefore track the source of contamination.

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) mainly consists of organic materials such as proton exchange membrane, carbon supports, and carbon sheets. However, it also includes some inorganic elements such as radical quenchers and precious metal catalysts. In this application note, we introduce key applications of micro-XRF for each component of PEMFC.

The XGT-9000 Series can be used for identification of trace evidences such as collected gunshot residues, glass fragments, and fibers with sizes even down to tens of micron.

μ-XRF is a non-destructive analytical technique which can inspect defects, even non-visible ones, inside a sample because of the high penetration of X-rays. This application note introduces failure analysis to detect ion migration, voids, and foreign matter on electronics using the XGT-9000, with key features of the vertical irradiation of a 10 μm probe and the simultaneous imaging of fluorescent X-rays and transmission X-rays.

μ-XRF is one of the powerful non-destructive analytical technique in forensic science application. Thanks to the elemental mapping and the spectrum search function, XGT-9000 enables to reveal intentional alternation and identify the ink used on a document.

The XGT-9000SL’s large chamber capacity allows you to put whole a brake rotor and carry out spectrum analysis and elemental distribution imaging on the rotor surface, non-destructively.

Gemstones for jewelry are treated by heating, irradiation, or filling of cracks to make them flawless. We performed imaging analyses using an XGT-9000 X-ray Analytical Microscope on a ruby provided by Mineralab. The transmission X-ray imaging revealed that the ruby included several internal defects, and the fluorescent X-ray imaging revealed that the ruby surface was treated by filling with Pb, Mg and Si which are representative of lead glass.

The XGT-9000 is HORIBA’s new X-ray microscope. Its analytical versatility allows, multiple characterizations to be performed on a blister pack, from mapping of the full pack to particle size measurements of the capsule content.

The penetrating nature of EDXRF analysis allows multi-layered samples to be characterised with a single measurement. With high spatial resolution even microscopic features such as bonding pads on circuit boards can be interrogated for composition and layer thickness.

Troubleshooting and defect analyses of components embedded within opaque resins are described, on both individual components and complete circuit boards. Quantitative analysis to the ppm level is ideally suited for ensuring compliance to the WEEE/RoHS directives.

The XGT-9000 Series can be equipped with various probes and spot sizes providing comprehensive and detailed understanding of geological and mineral samples.

In this article, we present how our Raman and X-Ray Fluorescence microscopies can be combined to shed some light on the origins of the universe. We show some examples on a meteorite piece and on water inclusion in quartz matrix.

The combination of the XGT-5000’s ground breaking spatial resolution and sensitivity means it is the instrument of choice for fast analysis of electronic components, whether for analysis of restricted harmful elements (the WEEE/RoHS ‘lead free’ legislation), trouble shooting, or R&D.

Individual rice grains are analyzed by micro-XRF to examine the effect of grain polishing. The concentration of mineral elemnts found on a grain can be related to the degree of polish.

This application note introduces foreign matter analysis in food products using the XGT 9000. There are three analyses as follows: Foreign particles on an oily salami, foreign matter inside a laminated ham and sausage, and a fly found in a drink product.

X-ray Fluorescence photons can be partially absorbed by the encapsulated material and will not show in the spectrum. The X-ray transmission image provides a complete picture.

Micro-XRF analysis of gun shot residues allows individual microscopic particles to be characterized for elemental composition. In addition, automated element imaging provides high spatial resolution element distribution maps, allowing particle shapes and sizes to be accurately analyzed.

Lapis lazuli is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semiprecious stone which contains inclusions that can impact its value. Pyrite impurities and major elements distribution are studied with the XGT-9000, HORIBA’s new X-ray microscope.

Simultaneous XRF and transmission x-ray imaging provides valuable insight into the composition and structure of pearls. Such information is vital for customs officials, who can quickly determine whether pearls are natural, cultured or imitation.

High spatial resolution elemental mapping experiments are demonstrated to provide a useful method of fingerprint analysis in situations where traditional methods struggle. Fingerprints on glossy paper and finely woven fabrics have been chemically treated, and subsequently imaged.

Elemental distribution is crucial for material science. The XGT-9000 Series provides this information non-destructively.