XRF Glossary
PMI, LOD, SDD, FP, matrix effects, RoHS — portable XRF terms explained.
Calibration
Establishing the relationship between measured X-ray intensity and element concentration.
Collimator
Optical component that defines the X-ray beam spot size on the sample surface.
Fundamental Parameters (FP)
Physics-based quantification that reduces dependence on matching calibration standards.
Grade ID
Software that compares XRF results against alloy libraries to suggest the most likely grade.
IEC 62321
International standard series for determining restricted substances in electrotechnical products.
Light Elements
Low atomic number elements (C, O, N, Na, Mg) with poor detectability in standard portable XRF.
LOD (Limit of Detection)
The lowest concentration an instrument can reliably distinguish from background noise.
Matrix Effect
When the overall sample composition changes measured intensities for target elements.
NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156
Standard for materials resistant to sulfide stress cracking in H2S sour oil & gas environments.
NDT (Non-Destructive Testing)
Testing methods that evaluate materials without damaging the part.
OES (Optical Emission Spectrometry)
Spark-based lab technique excellent for C, S, P in steel — complements portable XRF.
PMI (Positive Material Identification)
Verifying that installed or incoming metal matches the specified alloy grade.
RoHS
EU directive restricting hazardous substances in electronics — screened by portable XRF.
SDD (Silicon Drift Detector)
High-resolution XRF detector enabling faster, more accurate multi-element analysis.
XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence)
Non-destructive elemental analysis using X-rays to excite atoms and measure emitted fluorescence.