Principle : The x-ray fluorescence (xrf) is a non-destructive, which is used to quantify the elemental composition of solid samples and liquids.
The sample to be analyzed is placed under a beam of x-rays under the effect of these x-rays, the atoms in the sample move from their ground state to an excited state. the excited state is unstable, the atoms tend to return to the ground state by releasing energy in the form of x-ray photon in particular. every atom, having an electronic configuration clean, will emit photons of energy and wavelength-specific. this is the phenomenon of x-ray fluorescence which is a secondary emission of x-rays characteristic of the atoms that constitute the sample. the analysis of this x-ray radiation, secondary to the time to get to know the nature of the chemical elements present in a sample as well as their mass concentration.
there are two systems xrf system, a dispersion of wavelength (wdxrf) system and an energy-dispersive (edxrf). the difference is the way in which x-rays are detected.