X-ray Fluorescence Analysis of Superconductor YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ by Glass Bead-FP Method

Abstract

In the accurate elemental analysis of ceramic powders by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry with few or no available standards, the glass bead technique combined with the fundamental parameter (FP) method has been found to be suitable. As an example of ceramic powder analysis, we determined the amounts of Y₂O₃, BaO, and CuO contained in a superconductor YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ with this combined method.
The results were as follows:
(1) Satisfactory glass beads with near-infinite thickness to both incident and fluorescent X-rays were found to be prepared from 10 g of Na₂B₄O₇, 1 g of YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ, and 0.20 g of KI.
(2) Absorption enhancement effects for YKα, BaKα, and CuKα as below were taken into account in the analysis. YKα is more absorbed by substituting Y₂O₃ in the mixed reagents (Y₂O₃-BaO-CuO) with either BaO or CuO. BaKα is enhanced or a little more absorbed depending on the substitution of BaO in the mixed reagents with CuO or Y₂O₃. CuKα is more absorbed or a little enhanced depending on the substitution of CuO in the mixed reagents with BaO or Y₂O₃.
(3) The amounts of Y₂O₃, BaO, and CuO in the superconductor were determined with the good accuracies (σ_d's) of 0.11, 0.18, and 0.19wt%, respectively by this combined method.