TXRF Analysis of Certified Reference Materials

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) is a mature technique that is extremely sensitive to trace amounts of analyte, but quantification with a robust uncertainty budget remains elusive. Surprisingly there are and no certified reference materials specially designed for TXRF with which to test and benchmark new instruments. This gap is being explored through international collaborations including the SC10 subcommittee of the ISO TC201 “surface chemical analysis”, a revision of the German standard DIN51003 (Total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis – Terminology and general principles) as well as the ENFORCE COST Action. We request beamtime to extend a successful round-robin activity using carefully engineered samples to provide data from a synchrotron beamline that is not dedicated to TXRF analysis. We will also provide input into the development of new reference samples as well as the wider impact of instrumental and experimental parameters on the uncertainty budget.