Portable XRF in Materials Science Labs
From undergraduate alloy labs to PhD thesis triage — a department playbook.
Typical uses
- Stainless PMI — verify 304 vs 316 before corrosion testing
- Thesis screening — prioritize which samples go to SEM/ICP
- Teaching — hands-on elemental analysis without wet chemistry
Sample prep
Flat, clean metal surfaces; remove paint unless studying coatings. Use check samples at start of each session.
Workflow with core facility
Many departments pair a teaching-cart XRF with central SEM/ICP. XRF handles volume; lab methods handle publication-grade confirmation.
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