X-ray fluorescence scanning (XRF scanning) is a non-destructive analytical technique used to determine the elemental composition of materials. It’s widely used in fields like geology, archaeology, environmental science, materials science, and art conservation.
The Environmental Radioactivity Measurement Centre houses an Itrax XRF core scanner, a non-destructive analytical instrument, providing optical and radiographic images as well as XRF spectrometry elemental profiles, all at high resolution and in a relatively short time.
The Itrax can accommodate a variety of sample types including sediment and rock cores, speleothems, corals and wood (providing they are the right shape). A sediment core splitter and a high-tech wood milling/saw machine are available at the centre for preparing the best samples for analysis by the Itrax scanner. Dedicated fridges and a freezer are available for short term storage of sediment cores to be analysed by the Itrax scanner.
| Capability | Typical1 Limits of Detection2 | Precision3 | Contact Person | Pricing Unit | Commercial Price4 |
| ITRAX Core Scan - high resolution with X radiograph for wood samples | Elemental relative abundance | 200 micron |
metre |
$1,767 | |
| ITRAX Core Scan - high resolution with 10 sec exposure for XRF analysis | Elemental relative abundance | 200 micron |
metre |
$1,767 | |
| ITRAX Core Scan - medium resolution with 10 sec exposure for XRF analysis | Elemental relative abundance | 500 micron | metre | $1,279 | |
| ITRAX Core Scan - low resolution with 10 sec exposure for XRF analysis | Elemental relative abundance | 1000 micron | metre | $1,117 | |
| Semi-quantitative elemental analysis via XRF of individual samples | ppm - percentage | sample | $105 |