You know that both X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) are vital tools for materials analysis. In the industry, these techniques are used in research and development, quality control, quality assurance, certification and failure analysis. These techniques provide useful information about the elemental composition, crystallinity and orientation of polymers.
The XRF analysis identifies and quantifies the elemental composition and concentrations of inorganic additives (pigments, fillers, flame retardants, stabilizers) used in plastics manufacturing. It could also be used for the RoHS/WEEE validations.
The XRD analysis is used to determine the crystalline or microcrystalline or amorphous forms. The polymorphism and relative crystallinity often indicate processing methods and troubleshooting failures; XRD can provide vital information for the process and quality control labs. XRD techniques such as low angle or small angle scattering can be used to determine the size and shapes of polymer domains within a sample. The diffractometer can be configured to analyze polymer fibers and films for more advanced structural investigations.
XRF and XRD instruments range in size and capability from handheld, portable XRF devices and low power X-ray diffractometers for fast, convenient analysis to high-end laboratory instruments for the most serious research applications. Thermo Fisher offers a wide range of XRF and XRD capabilities from convenient hand-held analyzers for field applications or bench-top instruments to high-end laboratory instruments for flexibility and performance depending on the analytical needs.