MAJOR OXIDE ANALYSIS OF GEOLOGICAL MATERIALS

Method

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry.

The major oxides of materials of widely differing composition such as silicates, carbonates, sulphates and phosphates are determined rapidly at levels from below 0.01% to 100%.

Sample preparation

Analyses can be carried out on as little as 0.5 g of material. The incorporation of sample material into a lithium tetraborate flux to form a solid solution enables a wide range of matrix compositions to be accurately determined through the normalisation of both particle size and inter-element (matrix) effects.

Elements analysed

Using the above sample preparation, all of the major oxides in geological materials are determined either routinely or non-routinely. To view a layout of these elements, click here.

Quality assurance

Many international geochemical reference standards of appropriate compositional range are used to calibrate each element of interest in accordance with the requirements of International Accreditation New Zealand - ISO 17025.