The examination of metallic materials by X-ray emission spectrography is reviewed from the viewpoint of the analytical chemist. Reasons are cited to show why X-ray emission spectrography is particularly suited to these applications and why it should prove a welcome complement to other analytical methods including emission spectrography at ordinary wavelengths. A recent successful application of X-ray spectrography (the routine determination of molybdenum, nickel, chromium, cobalt, and iron in a complex alloy developed for high-temperature applications) is described. In addition, a fragmentary comparison of results by X-ray and ordinary emission spectrography is given.
Discussed in a practical way are precision, range of standards, resolution, types of excitation, counting errors, depth of penetration, and deviations caused by absorption. In this discussion, the method has been looked at through the eyes of the analytical chemist who wants his samples analyzed rapidly, as completely as possible, and with good precision (standard deviations smaller than 1 part per 100).
Finally, a few nonroutine applications of X-ray emission spectrography are mentioned, the most striking of which is the modification of an electron microscope to excite the characteristic lines in volumes as small as that of a micron cube.
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