Determination of trace elements in unfused rock and mineral samples by x-ray fluorescence

The wavelength range in which trace elements are commonly determined by X-ray fluorescence has been divided into three major regions: wavelengths longer than 1.9 Å, between 1.9 and 0.6 Å, and shorter than 0.6 Å. The factors controlling matrix effects differ somewhat in each of these regions; the methods that can be applied to compensate for these effects also differ. The least laborious correction method is the internal standard technique involving scattered X-ray tube spectra. The results are discussed in the light of trace element determinations carried out on geochemical standards.