Patent ID: 9031187
Filing Date: 2015-05-12
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of performing X-ray diffraction (XRD) and/or X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis of a sample, comprising: irradiating a sample with X-rays from a polychromatic X-ray source; providing a combined XRD and XRF detection arrangement that is sequential x-ray detection channel comprising a scanning wavelength selector for sequentially scanning a wavelength range for XRF measurements and at least one X-ray detector for detecting X-rays selected by the scanning wavelength selector, wherein the X-ray source and the sequential x-ray detection channel are housed together with the sample inside a chamber that is capable of being evacuated and/or flushed with gas that is substantially spectrally transparent at the wavelength to be detected; and performing XRD analysis of the sample by selecting at least one fixed wavelength of X-rays diffracted by the sample using the scanning wavelength selector and detecting X-rays of the selected fixed wavelength(s) at one or more values of the diffraction angle φ at the sample using the X-ray detector(s); and/or performing XRF analysis of the sample by sequentially scanning wavelengths of X-rays emitted by the sample using the scanning wavelength selector and detecting X-rays of the scanned wavelengths using the X-ray detector(s).