A Comparison of Weighing Methods Prior to Fusion Preparing Iron Samples for XRF Analysis

Sample preparation by fusion for XRF analysis is all about knowing the exact weights of the sample and the flux (sample-to-flux ratio). The whole analytical chain, including the weighing step in sample preparation prior to fusion, is of crucial importance to get precise and accurate x-ray fluorescence (XRF) results. Consequently, the weighing method will affect the quality of the analytical results given by the spectrometer. In this study, the effects of different weighing methods on the precision (RSD) of the obtained XRF results are compared to determine the best weighing method for sample preparation by fusion in terms of comparable precisions in the XRF results.