Understanding X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Positive Material Indentification (PMI)

By Ted Shields, Portable Products Manager, Analytical Instruments at Olympus / Evident Scientific, and Michael W. Hull, Applications Scientist at Olympus / Evident Scientific. July 23, 2019

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Inspection

Inspection is the practice of examining the physical condition of materials, components, or entire pieces of equipment in order to determine if and for how long it will operate as intended. Inspection plays a vital role in any
Nondestructive Testing (NDT)

Nondestructive Testing (NDT) consists of a variety of non-invasive inspection techniques used to evaluate material properties, components, or entire process units. The techniques can also be utilized to detect, characterize, or measure the...
Positive Material Identification (PMI)

Positive Material Identification (PMI) is a term that refers to the analysis and identification of materials through various nondestructive methods. PMI is able to determine the alloy composition of materials, and is a well-established technique that can either be performed in...
Quality Assurance (QA)

Quality Assurance (QA) is a process that is used to control and improve the development of a product or service to ensure it will meet all specifications and requirements. QA involves improving the product development and manufacturing process, rather than looking at...
Quality Control (QC)

Quality Control (QC) is the process of ensuring that the quality of a product or service has met certain predetermined standards. QC involves preventing defects in the finished products after they have been developed or manufactured. While it is...

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Introduction

Our mission at Inspectioneering is to consistently bring valuable information and resources to our audience of mechanical integrity professionals in the O&G and process industries. Part of that responsibility is seeking out experts in different fields to share their knowledge and experience with the Inspectioneering community. In this latest guest blog, our friends at Olympus America share some of their most frequently fielded questions regarding X-Ray Flourescence (XRF), an established non-destructive testing (NDT) technique used in a variety of industries. Some important considerations when using XRF for Positive Material Identification (PMI) are also discussed.

Frequently Asked XRF Questions

What is XRF?

XRF stands for X-ray fluorescence. It’s a powerful, nondestructive technique for measuring...

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About the Authors

Ted Shields, Portable Products Manager, Analytical Instruments at Olympus / Evident Scientific

Ted has worked at Olympus / Evident Scientific for more than 11 years and has overseen the introduction of numerous innovations to the XRF product lines with a focus on bringing laboratory-quality data to the portable market. Ted has a Master's degree in Applied Physics and holds four patents. Read more »

Michael W. Hull, Applications Scientist at Olympus / Evident Scientific

Michael is an Applications Scientist in Olympus / Evident Scientific’s Analytical Instruments division. Day-to-day, he assists XRF users in finding individual solutions. Michael has a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Notre Dame, and his research involved the synthesis of novel materials. He utilizes X-ray techniques for structural characterization, compositional... Read more »

Comments and Discussion

Posted by Augustine Joe on August 9, 2019

How can i do this inspection training? Am in... Log in or register to read the rest of this comment.

Posted by Nauman Waheed on August 28, 2019

Hello, refer to para 3 of above article i.e.... Log in or register to read the rest of this comment.

Posted by José Caprarulo on September 23, 2019

Hi, I´m losing my confidence with XRF, time ago... Log in or register to read the rest of this comment.

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