Angle-Dependent XRF Analyses: Pros and Cons of a Novel Technique in the Field of Cultural Heritage

Abstract

In the cultural heritage field, non-invasive analyses are becoming more important as they avoid any sampling, allowing in situ measurements to be performed. XRF is one of the most common among those techniques, as it allows elemental speciation of the sample with a range that goes from F to U. However, the main limitation of this technique on cultural heritage objects is due to their intrinsic inhomogeneity, both lateral and in-depth. If MA-XRF has overcome the lateral inhomogeneity through the collection of multiple XRF spectra in different positions, it is more difficult to find an optimal way to perform in-depth analyses. Now, only confocal micro XRF allows for precise 3D analyses, as other techniques are limited to certain kinds of samples. In recent years, however, angle-resolved XRF has given promising results in the analysis of layered samples. In this study, we will review the information about this new analytical technique and its advantages and disadvantages in studying cultural heritage objects following our recent studies.