Patent ID: 9048067
Filing Date: 2015-06-02
Classification: G01N,H01J

Abstract:
1. A method of determining the mineral present at a point in a sample of unknown composition, comprising: directing an electron beam toward a point on the sample to acquire an x-ray spectrum; providing multiple mineral definitions, each mineral definition including a list of elements, each of the elements having a corresponding standard spectrum obtained from a first number of x-ray counts, the x-ray spectrum of the sample being obtained from a second number of x-ray counts, the second number of x-ray counts being fewer than the first number of x-ray counts for the standard spectrum of each element; comparing the acquired spectrum to a combined standard spectra of the elements from the element list of each of the mineral definitions; determining which of the combined standard spectra of elements from mineral definitions best matches the acquired spectrum; classifying the point on the sample as being composed of the mineral whose definition produced the best match.