ABSTRACT

The Horiba energy-dispersive XRF microscanner is an instrument designed for nondestructive, high-resolution, rapid, semiquantitative chemical mapping under ordinary atmospheric conditions. However, its application to quantitative analysis has not yet been attempted. In this study we developed a nondestructive, rapid, high-resolution, quantitative analytical method for fine-grained rocks using this instrument. Average concentrations and elemental mapping images of a small square region (0.5 mm 0.5 mm to 100 mm 100 mm) can be obtained for major elements (Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe) within 100 seconds per measurement. High-resolution, continuous measurements of slabbed fine-grained sedimentary rock samples are easily achieved. A stratigraphic interval of 1 m can be measured with 1 cm resolution within 10 hours, which is several times faster than the conventional X-ray fluorescence method.