Dependence of the XRFA sensitivity on the concentration of the analyte

The aim of the study is to introduce as a sensitivity evaluation criterion the minimal increase of concentration (δCmin) which can be quantitatively determined rather than the detection limit, Cmin. With the increase of the element concentration (C) the value of δCmin also increases. The relation δCmin f(C) has been studied for the elements from Mg to Fe with XRFA of ashes from a thermal power station. Two ways of sample preparation - pelletizing and melting - are used. Thus described, the sensitivity evaluation criterion of a XRFA method can be successfully applied in all spectral methods. (author)