{"id":8887,"date":"2016-12-13T13:01:04","date_gmt":"2016-12-13T13:01:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/?p=8887"},"modified":"2026-08-12T21:02:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T21:02:22","slug":"question-about-xrf-and-element-ions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/question-about-xrf-and-element-ions\/","title":{"rendered":"Question About XRF and Element Ions"},"content":{"rendered":"

We received a question via our Facebook account<\/a> regarding a blog article about X-ray fluorescence<\/a> (XRF).  XRF is a non-destructive analytical technique used to determine the chemical composition of materials, including materials used in the <\/span>metal manufacturing, inspection and recycling industry<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The reader asked:<\/p>\n

“Why are portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzers<\/a> not able to detect the different ions of the element, eg. Fe2+ and Fe3+ ?”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Here’s my answer:<\/span><\/p>\n

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry is an elemental analysis technique, based on the principle that individual atoms, when excited by an external energy source, emit X-ray photons of a characteristic energy or wavelength. See image below:  <\/p>\n

\"XRF<\/a><\/p>\n

By counting the number of photons of each energy emitted from a sample, the elements present may be identified and quantified.<\/p>\n

Because this fluorescence is unique to the elemental composition of the sample, XRF is an excellent technology for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the material composition.<\/p>\n

To answer your question, though, in practice it is impossible to identify different oxidation states such as Fe2+ and Fe3+ with XRF because both oxidation states have almost the same characteristic energy. This difference in characteristic energy of different oxidation states is much smaller than XRF detector energy resolution, which makes separation of these two signal impossible in practice.<\/p>\n

XRF can detect both Fe2+ and Fe3+, but they are reported as total elemental Fe.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For those who are less technical and want to know more about XRF and how it works, download this free eBook – <\/span><\/strong><\/span>XRF in the Field: XRF Technology for the Non-Scientist<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/a> <\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

XRF in the Field: XRF Technology for the Non-Scientist<\/span><\/em>, written by an expert in X-ray fluorescence (XRF) techniques, explains the technology in an easy-to-understand manner.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"xrf
<\/a>Register now to download your free eBook!<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We received a question via our Facebook account regarding a blog article about X-ray fluorescence (XRF).  XRF is a non-destructive analytical technique used to determine the chemical composition of materials, including materials used in the metal manufacturing, inspection and recycling industry. The reader asked: “Why are portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzers not able to detect the different ions of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":8926,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[154],"tags":[],"division":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8887","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-industry-metals","8":"entry"},"_selected_authors":[1047],"_selected_reviewers":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nQuestion About XRF and Element Ions - 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This challenge has significant implications for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General\/Industry"","block_context":{"text":"General\/Industry","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/general-industry-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Scrap metal pieces laying in a pile","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13568,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/how-handheld-xrf-technology-exposed-counterfeit-silver-coins-sold-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":8887,"position":2},"title":"How Handheld XRF Technology Exposed Counterfeit Silver Coins Sold Online","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"May 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary Counterfeit silver coins are becoming a growing problem in online marketplaces, putting coin collectors, precious metal investors, pawn shops, and bullion buyers at financial risk. A recent \u00a0NBC Connecticut investigation uncovered fake American Eagle silver bullion coins being sold online at prices far below market value. Although the coins\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Precious Metals"","block_context":{"text":"Precious Metals","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/precious-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Silver coins and silver bullion","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-482324309.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-482324309.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-482324309.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-482324309.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-482324309.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-482324309.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13598,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/how-rhodium-plating-impacts-gold-xrf-analysis-and-karat-verification\/","url_meta":{"origin":8887,"position":3},"title":"How Rhodium Plating Impacts Gold XRF Analysis and Karat Verification","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"July 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary Accurate gold analysis is essential for jewelry verification, precious metals trading, refining, and quality control. One of the most widely used methods for determining gold content is X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, a non-destructive testing technique that quickly evaluates metal composition. However, rhodium plating\u2014a common surface treatment used on white\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Metals & Alloys"","block_context":{"text":"Metals & Alloys","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/metals-and-alloys\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Banner of a cube symbolizing element number 45 of the periodic table. Rhodium. (Rh)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/iStock-2281505711.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/iStock-2281505711.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/iStock-2281505711.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/iStock-2281505711.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/iStock-2281505711.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/iStock-2281505711.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13545,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/how-to-maximize-productivity-in-lightweight-metal-scrap-sorting-at-recycling-facilities\/","url_meta":{"origin":8887,"position":4},"title":"How to Maximize Productivity in Lightweight Metal Scrap Sorting at Recycling Facilities","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"May 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Addressing the Challenge of Lightweight Alloy Identification Lightweight metal scrap sorting\u2014especially for aluminum and magnesium alloys\u2014presents a unique operational challenge. While these materials are essential to modern manufacturing and recycling streams, their similar compositions make them difficult to distinguish quickly and accurately. Traditional sorting methods often force a trade-off between\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General\/Industry"","block_context":{"text":"General\/Industry","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/general-industry-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Compacted aluminum scraps","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10286,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/a-valentines-special-best-metal-elements-for-a-sturdy-piece-of-jewelry\/","url_meta":{"origin":8887,"position":5},"title":"A Valentine\u2019s Special: Best Metal Elements for a Sturdy Piece of Jewelry","author":"Mark Lessard","date":"February 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A Pleasant Garden article noted that \"from a global perspective, nearly 6 million couples get engaged on February 14th.\"\u00a0It\u2019s no surprise that many of those who \u2018pop the question\u2019 choose to do it on the day known for its message of love and affection. Those who have bought an engagement\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Precious Metals"","block_context":{"text":"Precious Metals","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/precious-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"ring in box with Valentine heart decorations","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/12\/xrayprocess.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/55"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8887"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13777,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8887\/revisions\/13777"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8887"},{"taxonomy":"division","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/division?post=8887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}