Elemental composition of a pipe is determined by a fluorescence x-ray detector device. An outer housing of the device is inserted into the pipe via a flexible insertion member. A radioactive x-ray source is encompassed by a shield within the housing. A shutter selectively opens to enable radiation from the x-ray source to exit the shield and illuminate an inner wall of the pipe. An x-ray detector within the housing detects fluorescence x-rays emitted from the pipe upon illumination by the x-ray source. A controller then determines the presence of one or more elemental materials contained within the pipe based on the fluorescence x-rays.

The present invention relates, in part, to methods of using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry for analyzing (e.g., measuring) the binding of a soluble target to an insoluble material.

There are disclosed a method of producing an XRF readable mark, the XRF readable mark and a component comprising thereof. The method comprises providing an XRF marking composition with specific relative concentrations of one or more chemical elements and fabricating a multilayer structure of the XRF readable mark. The relative concentrations are selected such that in response to irradiation of the XRF marking composition by XRF exciting radiation, the XRF marking composition emits an XRF signal indicative of a predetermined XRF signature. Fabricating the multilayer structure comprises implementing an attenuation layer with at least one element exhibiting high absorbance for an XRF exciting radiation and/or an XRF background; and implementing a marking layer comprising said XRF marking composition.

The invention includes various electronic devices for avoiding or minimizing XRF analyzer user fatigue. In one embodiment, the XRF analyzer can include a finger tap switch for activating the XRF analysis. In another embodiment, the XRF analyzer can include a hand sensor and a finger tap switch, activation of both required to activate the XRF analysis. In another embodiment, the XRF analyzer can include a microphone capable of receiving a verbal command from a user and a finger tap switch, both receipt of the verbal command and activation of the finger tap switch required to activate the XRF analysis. Additional benefits of some embodiments include improving XRF analysis safety and avoiding XRF analyzer theft.

A measurement line evaluation unit (23): calculates, for all of specified measurement lines, estimated measured intensities by theoretical calculation on the basis of a composition and/or a thickness specified for a thin film; changes, by a predetermined amount, only an estimated measured intensity of one measurement line, and obtains quantitative values of the composition and/or the thickness of the thin film after change of the estimated measured intensity, for each changed measurement line, by a fundamental parameter method; and estimates a quantitative error and/or determines possibility of analysis, on the basis of the obtained quantitative values and the specified composition and/or the specified thickness.

The invention provides formulations and masterbatches of a polymeric material and XRF-identifiable markers, for producing transparent elements including a polymer and at least one XRF-identifiable marker for a variety of industrial uses.

This fluorescent X-ray analysis apparatus is provided with an X-ray irradiation unit 20 for irradiating a sample S with: X-rays, having an energy that exceeds the energy absorption edge value of Ag which is selected as a measurement target element, and that is no greater than the energy absorption edge value of Sn which is an adjacent element having a higher energy absorption edge value than Ag; and X-rays having an energy exceeding the energy absorption edge value of Sn which is selected as a measurement target element.

Disclosed herein is a method comprising: causing emission of characteristic X-rays of a first element attached to a first biological analyte; causing emission of characteristic X-rays of a second element attached to a second biological analyte; detecting a characteristic of the first biological analyte based on the characteristic X-rays of the first element and a characteristic of the second biological analyte based on the characteristic X-rays of the second element; wherein the first element and the second element are different; wherein the first biological analyte and the second biological analyte are in the same solution.

Elemental composition of a pipe is determined by a fluorescence x-ray detector device. An outer housing of the device is inserted into the pipe via a flexible insertion member. A radioactive x-ray source is encompassed by a shield within the housing. A shutter selectively opens to enable radiation from the x-ray source to exit the shield and illuminate an inner wall of the pipe. An x-ray detector within the housing detects fluorescence x-rays emitted from the pipe upon illumination by the x-ray source. A controller then determines the presence of one or more elemental materials contained within the pipe based on the fluorescence x-rays.

A system and method for producing period-coded glass containers is disclosed. One method comprises producing a glass container from a traceable material composition associated with a predetermined time period, manufacturing facility, and/or time of container manufacture, where the glass container is configured to be analyzed for the traceable material composition, and at least one of constituents of or amounts of materials in the traceable material composition is configured to be identified and cross-referenced to a cross-reference schedule for identifying the time period, manufacturing facility, and/or time of container manufacture in which the glass container was produced.