Progress of Cryogenics and Isotopes Separation , ISSN: 1582-2575
2009, Volume 12, Issue 23+24

Quantitative Analysis and Metalic Coating Thickness Measurements by X-Ray Fluorescence

Abstract

This paperwork covers the use of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for determining the concentration and the coating thickness on metallic samples. The analysis method presented here may also be applicable to other coatings, providing that the elemental nature of the coating and substrate are compatible with the technical aspects of XRF, such as the absorption coefficient of the system, primary radiation, fluorescent radiation and type of detection.

For the coating thickness measurement it was used the substrate-line attenuation method and an algorithm was made. Its advantage relies in the fact that no special calibration with standard samples having different layer thickness is needed.

The samples used for evaluation were metallic pieces of iron with zinc-nickel coatings of different thickness obtained by electrochemical deposition.