Use of X-Ray Microanalyzer for Determining Compound Composition of Small Amounts of Powder Sample

Abstract

A method for composition analysis of microgram amounts of powder sample has been developed.
The sample was ground to the size less than 2 or 3 microns, homogeneously dispersed an organic solvent and filtrated under reducing pressure. In the filtrating procedure Nuclepore Filter of pore size of 0.5 micron was used. Prepared cake was analyzed by powder method of X-ray diffraction.
The diffraction pattern from the filter paper did not obstruct the identification of patterns from the examined samples.
Then, X-ray microanalysis was applied to the cake which was coated with carbon film. For quantitative analysis the amount of the cake on filter paper had to be over 10 micrograms per square millimeters of the paper. The content of each compound in the sample was estimated by combining the both analytical results.
Applicability of this method was checked in the analysis of a foreign substance of small quantity, formed on or contained in steel sheet.