Application Brief

Precious Metals Testing with ED-XRF Spectrometry

Precious metals demand careful analysis. The high monetary value of gold and silver — as well as of the platinum-group metals platinum, iridium, palladium, osmium, rhodium, and ruthenium — means that purity is a prime consideration when trading in these metals, or in jewelry or other products made from them. The presence of other elements in minor or trace amounts can sometimes be difficult to detect but can have a dramatic effect on value.

Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) spectrometers are now the preferred means of analysis at many of these points. Instrument makers constantly seek to improve their designs. Better performance can make important differences in several of these applications. This paper examines the use of a recently redesigned XRF instrument. With considerable improvement on already high levels of precision and speed, it provided excellent analytical results for precious metals testing.