{"id":3399,"date":"2015-01-15T08:00:12","date_gmt":"2015-01-15T13:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/?p=3399"},"modified":"2026-02-06T20:45:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T20:45:41","slug":"technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/","title":{"rendered":"Technology Focus: Silicon Drift Detectors"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" style=\"float: right;border: 0;margin: 10px\" title=\"drift design\" src=\"http:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/driftdesign.jpg\" alt=\"drift design\" width=\"466\" height=\"295\" \/>Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) are the current state-of-the-art for high resolution, high count rate X-ray spectroscopy. Modern SDDs benefit from a unique design that enables them to achieve a much higher performance than lithium drifted silicon, or Si(Li) detectors. Specifically, they experience far less electronic noise, which is particularly observed at short peaking times (i.e. high count rates), larger detector areas and low X-ray energies. As a result, they have largely displaced Si(Li) detectors and are now used in large quantities for industrial scale applications like scanning electron microscopy\/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM\/EDS) and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), both of which provide faster, more accurate analysis for the mining industry.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">SEM\/EDS<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Since the first SDD-based energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) detector was commercially introduced about 15 years ago, X-ray detectors for EDS have undergone a wave of technology enhancements. The first such EDS systems featured an active area of 5 mm<sup>2<\/sup>, an energy resolution between 160\u2013200 eV and a maximum collection rate approaching only 100,000 input counts\/second. Commercially available SDD-based EDS detectors today feature active areas up to 150 mm<sup>2<\/sup> per device with multiple detectors commonly working in tandem. Collection rates of 1 million input counts\/second are an expected standard. Spectral energy resolution down to 121 eV is now available. While energy resolution as measured and reported today is an important metric, it oversimplifies detector performance. (Read <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thermoscientific.com\/content\/dam\/tfs\/ATG\/CAD\/CAD%20Documents\/Application%20&amp;%20Technical%20Notes\/Microanalysis%20and%20Electron%20Microscopy\/TN52537_E_1013M_H.pdf\">The Role of Energy Resolution in Collecting World-Class Data for EDS<\/a> to learn more.)<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">EDXRF<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The resolution and elemental range achieved by EDXRF analyzers depends on the type of detector used.\u00a0SDDs have become the most popular detector in EDXRF instrumentation thanks to better resolution, high count rates, and faster results than Si(Li) detectors.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">A Typical SDD Device <\/span><\/p>\n<p>The figure below shows a typical SDD device. The chip is mounted on a thermoelectric cooler which provides device cooling. SDD devices come in a variety of shapes. The droplet-like shape shown in this figure is commonly used for smaller active areas such as 10 mm<sup>2<\/sup> and 30 mm<sup>2<\/sup>. The radiation entrance window which is shown in the picture consists of a flat p-implanted region covered by a thin conductive layer to keep the entrance window radiation hard. <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"vertical-align: middle;margin: 10px auto\" title=\"silicondriftdetector\" src=\"http:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/silicondrift.jpg\" alt=\"silicondriftdetector\" width=\"459\" height=\"295\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">X-ray Detector Fundamentals<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Typical X-ray detection devices consist of an active region composed of fully depleted, high-resistivity silicon, a front contact area and a collection anode. X-rays incident upon the front contact area are absorbed in the bulk Si region and generate electron-hole pairs. The quantity of charged carriers generated depends on the energy of the incident X-ray. A pre-established electric field between the front contact and the anode causes these electrons and holes to drift along the field lines; i.e. toward the anode. The charge accumulated at the anode is then converted to a voltage by a pre-amplifier. The magnitude of this measured voltage corresponds to the energy of the detected X-ray. For an in-depth look at detection technology, including example schematics of the electronics associated with an X-ray detector and SDD detector design, as well as illustrations of voltage steps and associated noise, read the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thermoscientific.com\/content\/dam\/tfs\/ATG\/CAD\/CAD%20Documents\/Application%20&amp;%20Technical%20Notes\/Microanalysis%20and%20Electron%20Microscopy\/TN52342_E_0512M_SiliconDrift_H.pdf\">Silicon Drift Detector technical note<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) are the current state-of-the-art for high resolution, high count rate X-ray spectroscopy. Modern SDDs benefit from a unique design that enables them to achieve a much higher performance than lithium drifted silicon, or Si(Li) detectors. Specifically, they experience far less electronic noise, which is particularly observed at short peaking times (i.e.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":156,"featured_media":3625,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","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":[5,11],"tags":[],"division":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3399","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-industry-mining","8":"category-portable-xrf","9":"entry"},"_selected_authors":[1353],"_selected_reviewers":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Technology Focus: Silicon Drift Detectors<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"See article for an in-depth look at detection technology, including example schematics of the electronics associated with an X-ray detector and SDD detector design.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Technology Focus: Silicon Drift Detectors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"See article for an in-depth look at detection technology, including example schematics of the electronics associated with an X-ray detector and SDD detector design.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Advancing Mining\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thermofisher\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-01-15T13:00:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-06T20:45:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/01\/driftdesign.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"466\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"295\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Keith Thompson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@thermofisher\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@thermofisher\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Keith Thompson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thermofisher.com\\\/blog\\\/mining\\\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thermofisher.com\\\/blog\\\/mining\\\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Keith Thompson\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\\\/mining\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a2b63f85b0c1c5a31d7cca483a1e2f29\"},\"headline\":\"Technology Focus: Silicon Drift Detectors\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-01-15T13:00:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-06T20:45:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thermofisher.com\\\/blog\\\/mining\\\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":519,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thermofisher.com\\\/blog\\\/mining\\\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\\\/mining\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2015\\\/01\\\/driftdesign.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"General\\\/Industry\",\"Portable XRF\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thermofisher.com\\\/blog\\\/mining\\\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thermofisher.com\\\/blog\\\/mining\\\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thermofisher.com\\\/blog\\\/mining\\\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\\\/\",\"name\":\"Technology Focus: Silicon Drift Detectors\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\\\/mining\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thermofisher.com\\\/blog\\\/mining\\\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thermofisher.com\\\/blog\\\/mining\\\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\\\/mining\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2015\\\/01\\\/driftdesign.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-01-15T13:00:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-06T20:45:41+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\\\/mining\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a2b63f85b0c1c5a31d7cca483a1e2f29\"},\"description\":\"See article for an in-depth look at detection technology, including example schematics of the electronics associated with an X-ray detector and SDD detector design.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thermofisher.com\\\/blog\\\/mining\\\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thermofisher.com\\\/blog\\\/mining\\\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thermofisher.com\\\/blog\\\/mining\\\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\\\/mining\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2015\\\/01\\\/driftdesign.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\\\/mining\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2015\\\/01\\\/driftdesign.jpg\",\"width\":466,\"height\":295,\"caption\":\"drift design\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thermofisher.com\\\/blog\\\/mining\\\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\\\/mining\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Technology Focus: Silicon Drift Detectors\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\\\/mining\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\\\/mining\\\/\",\"name\":\"Advancing Mining\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\\\/mining\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\\\/mining\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a2b63f85b0c1c5a31d7cca483a1e2f29\",\"name\":\"Keith Thompson\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/81592a5baea1d8daa0bfc5a2ff1b2504565ab6dbd48069d3fe9c51dfc6e08f2f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/81592a5baea1d8daa0bfc5a2ff1b2504565ab6dbd48069d3fe9c51dfc6e08f2f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/81592a5baea1d8daa0bfc5a2ff1b2504565ab6dbd48069d3fe9c51dfc6e08f2f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Keith Thompson\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\\\/author\\\/keith-thompsonthermofisher-com\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Technology Focus: Silicon Drift Detectors","description":"See article for an in-depth look at detection technology, including example schematics of the electronics associated with an X-ray detector and SDD detector design.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Technology Focus: Silicon Drift Detectors","og_description":"See article for an in-depth look at detection technology, including example schematics of the electronics associated with an X-ray detector and SDD detector design.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/","og_site_name":"Advancing Mining","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thermofisher","article_published_time":"2015-01-15T13:00:12+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-06T20:45:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":466,"height":295,"url":"http:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/01\/driftdesign.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Keith Thompson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@thermofisher","twitter_site":"@thermofisher","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Keith Thompson","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/"},"author":{"name":"Keith Thompson","@id":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/#\/schema\/person\/a2b63f85b0c1c5a31d7cca483a1e2f29"},"headline":"Technology Focus: Silicon Drift Detectors","datePublished":"2015-01-15T13:00:12+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-06T20:45:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/"},"wordCount":519,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/01\/driftdesign.jpg","articleSection":["General\/Industry","Portable XRF"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/","url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/","name":"Technology Focus: Silicon Drift Detectors","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/01\/driftdesign.jpg","datePublished":"2015-01-15T13:00:12+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-06T20:45:41+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/#\/schema\/person\/a2b63f85b0c1c5a31d7cca483a1e2f29"},"description":"See article for an in-depth look at detection technology, including example schematics of the electronics associated with an X-ray detector and SDD detector design.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/01\/driftdesign.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/01\/driftdesign.jpg","width":466,"height":295,"caption":"drift design"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/technology-focus-silicon-drift-detectors\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Technology Focus: Silicon Drift Detectors"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/#website","url":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/","name":"Advancing Mining","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/#\/schema\/person\/a2b63f85b0c1c5a31d7cca483a1e2f29","name":"Keith Thompson","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/81592a5baea1d8daa0bfc5a2ff1b2504565ab6dbd48069d3fe9c51dfc6e08f2f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/81592a5baea1d8daa0bfc5a2ff1b2504565ab6dbd48069d3fe9c51dfc6e08f2f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/81592a5baea1d8daa0bfc5a2ff1b2504565ab6dbd48069d3fe9c51dfc6e08f2f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Keith Thompson"},"url":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/author\/keith-thompsonthermofisher-com\/"}]}},"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":5,"label":"General\/Industry"},{"value":11,"label":"Portable XRF"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/01\/driftdesign.jpg",466,295,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Keith Thompson","author_link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/author\/keith-thompsonthermofisher-com\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":5,"name":"General\/Industry","slug":"general-industry-mining","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":74,"filter":"raw","meta":[],"cat_ID":5,"category_count":74,"category_description":"","cat_name":"General\/Industry","category_nicename":"general-industry-mining","category_parent":0},{"term_id":11,"name":"Portable XRF","slug":"portable-xrf","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":11,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":76,"filter":"raw","meta":[],"cat_ID":11,"category_count":76,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Portable XRF","category_nicename":"portable-xrf","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13488,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/the-role-of-edxrf-spectrometers-in-the-extraction-of-copper-from-ore\/","url_meta":{"origin":3399,"position":0},"title":"The Role of EDXRF Spectrometers in the Extraction of Copper from Ore","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"November 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Copper extraction is a complex process requiring precise control to ensure high purity. Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometers play a vital role by providing fast, non-destructive elemental analysis of ores, concentrates, and intermediate products. This enables mining operations to optimize extraction efficiency, maintain quality assurance, and meet stringent industry\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Elemental\/Geochemical Analysis&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Elemental\/Geochemical Analysis","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/elemental-geochemical-analysis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"a rock showing signs of copper and gold.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/iStock-1309478061.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/iStock-1309478061.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/iStock-1309478061.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/iStock-1309478061.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/iStock-1309478061.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/iStock-1309478061.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13986,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/best-practices-for-accurate-in-situ-geochemical-analysis\/","url_meta":{"origin":3399,"position":1},"title":"Best Practices for Accurate In Situ Geochemical Analysis","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"March 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"In situ geochemical analysis refers to elemental testing performed directly on geological materials in their natural location, avoiding the delays and costs associated with laboratory testing.\u00a0 While in situ geochemical analysis delivers immediate elemental data, the reliability of those results depends heavily on proper field methodology. Portable analytical technologies used\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Exploration&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Exploration","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/exploration\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mining truck on a dirt road in the Andes, Chile (near Embalse El Yeso, Caj\u00f3n del Maipo, San Jos\u00e9 de Maipo)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/iStock-2222354034.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/iStock-2222354034.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/iStock-2222354034.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/iStock-2222354034.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/iStock-2222354034.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/iStock-2222354034.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1624,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/a-halloween-treat-free-periodic-table\/","url_meta":{"origin":3399,"position":2},"title":"A Halloween Treat &#8211; Free Periodic Table","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"October 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"No tricks here. Download this handy periodic table and X-ray energy reference guide to help in analyzing your mining samples. \u00a0It's our treat. Then visit our Mining and Minerals, Cement Production, and Coal Power pages for more goodies. Download Periodic Table.\u00a0 \u00a0","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Elemental\/Geochemical Analysis&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Elemental\/Geochemical Analysis","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/elemental-geochemical-analysis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"halloween scene with plastic pumpkin and candy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/No-Tricks-.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/No-Tricks-.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/No-Tricks-.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/No-Tricks-.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/No-Tricks-.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13544,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/did-you-read-these-mining-and-minerals-articles-yet\/","url_meta":{"origin":3399,"position":3},"title":"Did You Read These Mining and Minerals Articles Yet?","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"December 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"According to Google, here are the Top 10 read articles this year from Advancing Mining. Some have been around for quite awhile, but are still as relevant as ever. If you missed any of the latest articles, just click\u00a0here\u00a0to see the most recently published articles. You can even filter by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General\/Industry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General\/Industry","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/general-industry-mining\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Top 10, words, isolated on a dark blue background. Alphabet on stone blocks.Rating. Rating concept. Background.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/12\/iStock-1411361298.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/12\/iStock-1411361298.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/12\/iStock-1411361298.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/12\/iStock-1411361298.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/12\/iStock-1411361298.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/12\/iStock-1411361298.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2707,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/potash-a-look-at-the-worlds-most-popular-fertilizer\/","url_meta":{"origin":3399,"position":4},"title":"Potash: A Look at the World\u2019s Most Popular Fertilizer","author":"Ali Somarin","date":"April 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Potash Explained Potash is one of the most essential fertilizers in modern agriculture, supplying potassium\u2014an irreplaceable nutrient that supports plant growth, crop yield, and overall food production. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), about 85% of potash is used in fertilizers, underscoring its critical role in global farming systems.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Data Management\/Lab Automation&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Data Management\/Lab Automation","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/data-management-lab-automation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"potash evaporation ponds at mining site","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/06\/iStock-1362567340.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/06\/iStock-1362567340.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/06\/iStock-1362567340.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/06\/iStock-1362567340.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/06\/iStock-1362567340.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/06\/iStock-1362567340.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13977,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/what-is-in-situ-geochemical-analysis-and-why-it-is-critical-for-modern-field-operations\/","url_meta":{"origin":3399,"position":5},"title":"What Is In Situ Geochemical Analysis \u2014 And Why It Is Critical for Modern Field Operations","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"March 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"In situ geochemical analysis has become a cornerstone of modern mineral exploration, mining, and environmental fieldwork. As project timelines tighten and operational costs increase, organizations can no longer afford delays caused by traditional laboratory testing workflows. In situ analysis \u2014 the ability to measure elemental composition directly at the sampling\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Exploration&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Exploration","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/exploration\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Close up of industrial worker holding mineral ore in gloved hands on mining site","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/iStock-896157842.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/iStock-896157842.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/iStock-896157842.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/iStock-896157842.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/iStock-896157842.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/iStock-896157842.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/01\/driftdesign.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/156"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3399\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3399"},{"taxonomy":"division","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/division?post=3399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}