Online energy dispersive x-ray diffraction analyser

Abstract

An on-line EDXRD analyser including (i) a housing defining an analysis zone and having a passageway through it to allow transport of material in a process stream to pass through the analysis zone, (ii) a collimated source of polychromatic X-rays, (iii) an energy-resolving (ER)X-ray detector, (iv) a primary beam collimator disposed between the source of X-rays and the (ER)X-ray detector comprising an annular slit which defines an incident beam of polychromatic X-rays to irradiate a portion of the analysis zone, (v) a scatter collimator disposed between the primary beam collimator and the ERX-ray detector, the scatter collimator comprising an annular slit which defines a diffracted beam of X-rays scattered by the material to converge towards the ERX-ray detector, and (vi) a detector collimator comprising a conical opening which further defines the diffracted beam of X-rays scattered by the material. The ERX-ray detector measures an energy spectrum of the diffracted X-rays at a predetermined diffraction angle defined by the relative positioning of (ii) to (vi), and where one of (iv) and (v) comprises an aperture arranged to enable a detector to measure the transmission of a direct beam of X-rays through the material.