Inaccuracies Encountered in Sulfur Determination by Particle Induced X-ray Emission

Abstract

Negative errors as large as 50 % may occur in particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) determinations of sulfur concentration in environmental samples. The low values obtained by PIXE In this study are due to chemical reactions induced by irradiation and to loss of sulfur species which are volatile at the temperatures produced by the particle beam under some conditions. The use of small beam currents can eliminate the losses due to simple heating but not those due to radiation-induced reactions. © 1980, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.