ANALYTICAL APPLICATIONS OF PARTICLE INDUCED X-RAY EMISSION (PIXE) SPECTROSCOPY

Quantitative multielemental analysis using Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) using 1 and 2 MeV proton bombardment on thin targets has been achieved. The method is based on the calculation of atomic ratios from experimentally determined relative x-ray efficiency curves. Sample preparation techniques involving digestion and homogenous deposition of samples and standards with a minimum of contamination have been investigated. The accuracy of the method has been evaluated using five standard reference materials obtained from the National Bureau of Standards.;Applications of the PIXE technique to studies on deep-sea ferromanganese nodules were performed. The utility of PIXE in the analysis of noduoles and in the following of the distribution of a large number of elements through the various stages of a processing scheme were demonstrated.;The elimination of bremsstrahlung associated with the charging effect of non-conducting samples in PIXE analysis has been accomplished using thin carbon foils in the beam path.