Application of High Energy Polarized Energy Dispersion-XRFS to Analysis of Ancient Ceramics

Fifty-six elements including 15 rare earth elements in ancient ceramics were determined by high energy polarized energy dispersion (HEPED)-XRFS. The sample was prepared by technique of pressed powder pellets using China national geological certified reference materials for preparation of working standard curves. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of 6 standard samples of ceramics body. As shown by the analytical results, the determined values of Sc, V, Mn, Cr, Zn, Ga, Ge, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Cd, Sn, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Gd, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Th and U were in conformity with the certified values having their uncertainties in the range of 3 to 4 times of certainties of the certified values; among the determined values of the 10 trace elements, i.e., Ni, Cu, Mo, Sb, Sm, Eu, Tb, Hf, Pb and Bi, 50% to 83% were accepted; values of Ti and oxides of Na, Mg, K, Ca, Fe and Ti obtained were within the tolerances of these elements; 66.6% of the determined values of Cl, S and P were accepted; absolute errors between the determined values of SiO2 and Al2O3 found by this method and by WDXRFS method (with sample preparation by fusion) were in the ranges of 0.95%-4.46% and 0.60%-1.66% respectively.