- Understand the limitations of detecting low-atomic-number elements with XRF spectroscopy in air.
- Recognize how air and other factors attenuate X-rays and impact the detection of low-energy peaks.
- Explore alternative detection methods for low-atomic-number elements, such as the scanning electron microscope (SEM) or helium purge.
- Use software to calculate X-ray transmission and attenuation in different air thicknesses and pressures.
- XRF spectroscopy system
- Reference XRF line tables
- Software tool for calculating X-ray path and transmission in air
- Introduction to Detection Limits in XRF Spectroscopy
- Explain why sodium (atomic number 11) is typically the lowest atomic number detectable in air and discuss elements of interest that fall below sodium, such as nitrogen and carbon, which require SEM for detection.
- Challenges of Low-Energy X-ray Detection in Air
- Describe how the presence of air affects the detection of low-energy X-rays (e.g., sodium’s peak at 1 keV).
- Highlight the issue of X-ray attenuation and explain why only a small fraction of low-energy X-rays can reach the detector due to air absorption and beryllium window interference.
- Using X-ray Path Calculation Software
- Demonstrate how to use an online X-ray path calculation tool to determine the transmission rate of low-energy X-rays through air.
- Walk through selecting air as the target material, inputting sodium’s energy (1 keV), and calculating the effect of a 10 mm air path on transmission rates.
To reinforce the concepts discussed here, we also provide a video lesson that visually walks through the key points of this topic. Watching the video alongside the text can help you better understand and apply these ideas in practice.
The course XRF Spectroscopy for Art Examination introduces conservators, art historians, and scientists with interest in Art to the principles and practical applications of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy in the examination of artworks. The course starts with basic principles of XRF and gradually explores its role in identifying materials and methods used in the creation and conservation of art.
Course Objectives
- Understand the fundamentals of XRF spectroscopy and how it applies to the analysis of art.
- Learn the key features and limitations of XRF for examining art and archaeology.
- Gain skills in interpreting XRF spectra to identify specific elements in paint layers, inks and metals.
Scientific Art Examination – Resources:
Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) – USA
The British Museum – Scientific Research Department – UK
Scientific Research Department – The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
C2RMF (Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France) – France
Rijksmuseum – Science Department – Netherlands
