Patent Number: 053496248
Section: claims

1. A method for examining particulate matter using X-ray equipment, comprising the steps of: passing a sample of said particulate matter through an analysis zone; directing microfocus X-ray beams generated by the X-ray equipment through said analysis zone to scan said sample and form X-ray images thereof; magnifying said X-ray images to enable detection of feature portions therein corresponding to contaminants within the sample; measuring the magnified X-ray images with respect to size and location of the feature portions therein after said detection thereof; and non-destructively analyzing the particulate matter from the size and location of the feature portions measured as the contaminants. 2. The method of claim 1, including the step of: utilizing the measured size and location of the feature portions of the X-ray images to separate the contaminants from the sample. 3. The method of claim 2 wherein said contaminants include particles less than 1 millimeter in size. 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the contaminants are heavy metals and the particulate matter is soil. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said contaminants include particles less than 1 millimeter in size. 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the contaminants are solid particles of heavy metal and the particulate matter is soil. 7. A method for analysis of particulate matter contaminated by solid particles therein, comprising the steps of: passing a sample of said particulate matter through an analysis zone, directing a microfocussed X-ray beam through said analysis zone to scan said sample and form X-ray images thereof; magnifying said X-ray images to enable detection of feature portions therein corresponding to said particles; measuring said feature portions of the X-ray images after enlargement by said magnifying thereof; and determining data on size and location of the solid particles in the sample from said measuring of the feature portions to non-destructively perform said analysis of the particulate matter. 8. The method of claim 7 wherein said particulate matter has an X-ray absorption coefficient substantially lower than that of the solid particles therein. 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the X-ray absorption coefficient of the particulate matter is between approximately 0.1 and 0.5 cm.sup.2 /g. 10. The method of claim 7, including the additional step of: utilizing the determined data on the size and location to separate the solid particles from the particulate matter.