X‑Ray Fluorescence Analyzer (XRF)

Thermo Scientific Niton XL3t 950 GOLDD

Technical Specifications

The Thermo Scientific Niton XL3t 950 GOLDD is a portable, handheld x-ray fluorescence analyzer. Combining advanced technology with versatile x-ray tubes, this instrument is ideal for field analysis, providing instantaneous results and advanced light element analysis.

For example, rock identification is usually done by examining thin sections of rock under optical microscope, being time consuming and requiring a thin section preparation laboratory onsite. Field portable x-ray fluorescence (FPXRF) can not only be used to identify elemental composition (Fig. 1), but also the subtle changes in geochemistry of rocks and monitoring of the gradual transition from one rock type to another.

Applications to Research

Silva, R.L., Sedore, P., Plummer, N., Wach, G., 2015. Preliminary evaluation of the compositional sedimentary variation of the Jurassic Iroquois and Mohican formations of the Scotian Basin (Nova Scotia, Canada). Goldschimdt Conference 2015

Figure 1: Compositional classification of the Mohican and Iroquois formations from the well Mohican I-100, drilled in the Scotian Basin, offshore Nova Scotia (in Silva et al., 2015) (SandClass classification of Heron, 1998)