Trends, applications and results in X-ray fluorescence analysis

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) has reached a mature state and represents a powerful analytical tool for the qualitative and quantitative determination of almost all the chemical elements in a sample. Standard XRF methods as well as special techniques to improve the detection limits will be presented, emphasizing the versatility of the method. With modern instrumentation the detectable number of elements ranges from Be to U. The minimum detectable quantities under optimized excitation and detection conditions from medium Z elements are a few hundred femtograms. Other features like rapid analysis because of the multielement capability and in some cases the nondestruction of the sample are advantageous for a wide field of applications. (author) 64 refs.; 9 figs.; 1 tab