Click here for XRD meeting details 15^th May 2008 same venue.

MINERALS and much more!

14^th May 2008, British Geological Survey (BGS), Keyworth, Nottingham.

This meeting will precede a BCA meeting XRD and Minerals at the same venue.

Registration: Meeting registration is now open with the NEW a credit card payment option.
Fees: Both days �60, 1 day �40, STUDENTS FREE (half price concessions)
Travel: Link to a PDF page of travel instructions.
Accomodation: Link to local accomodation BSG web page.
Several local Travelodges eg Thrussington are currently showing �39 rooms.

Programme: View a one page printer friendly two day programme (77kb PDF).

09:30 Registration & Coffee (sponsored by Ametek Spectro)

10:00 Nick Marsh, University of Leicester.
The preparation and presentation of mineral samples for XRF analysis.
X-Ray Fluoresence Analysis (XRFA) is one technique amongst many these days that can offer chemical analysis of mineral samples. Everyone is aware that different minerals possess different properties but what are the consequences of these properties in the analytical process? A brief review of the commonly used preparation and presentation techniques will highlight some of the potential pitfalls and possible solutions.
Today an increasing range of analytical demands for a wider range of environmental monitoring in particular is encouraging more labs and analysts into unfamiliar working territory. The demand for quantitative chemical analysis for a range of different types of mineralogical samples can be met by XRFA, a relatively cheap, sensitive and robust technique but as with most good science this throws up more questions. How do XRFA results compare against those from other techniques and are we comparing like with like? Just what are we actually analysing? Is it really non-destructive analysis? Is non-destructive analysis such an advantage? How much sample is actually required? How should the results be quoted? We probably won't answer all these and the other questions that arise in the meeting today but we should be able to let them colour our thinking rather than cloud our judgement.

10:30 John Mansell, Omya UK Ltd.
Limestone Parts Per Million to Percent using ED-XRF.
An investigation to measure the elemental concentration in limestone using ED-XRF has been undertaken. Elements ranging from parts per million to high percentage is required as part of a finger print study. An S2 Ranger from Br�ker was used for this investigation. This application is also to be used for quality control, complaint investigation and to reduce the workload in the laboratory and the laboratories environmental impact from chemicals going to waste.

11:00 Margaret West, West X-ray Solutions Ltd.
A new BSI standard for the analysis of glass making sands.
BSI provide organisations from all sectors of industry with best practice solutions and standards that represent and support the needs of business and society in the UK and worldwide. The Society of Glass Technology work with BSI to ensure that British, European and international standards are relevant to the needs of the glass industry. Many glassworks do not have analytical facilities "in-house" and appoint an external laboratory. Furthermore, for those glassworks that are part of an international group, analytical facilities may vary from tried and tested "wet" methods to automated instrumentation. It is therefore important to ensure that the industry has a framework for an overall approach for the production and management of analytical systems and that defined and consistent nomenclature is available to avoid confusion.
This presentation will give an overview of a new standard method for the analysis of glass making sands by XRF, and where appropriate, ICP-OES, UV-VIS, AAS and combustion techniques.

11:30 John Boyle, University of Liverpool.
Geochemical analysis of lake sediment cores by XRF.
Geochemical analysis of lake sediment cores by XRF presents some special challenges. For high resolution studies little sediment is available, so sample size is small and non destructive (loose powder) approaches are preferred, restricting the accuracy and precision of the measurements. Furthermore, rapid and extreme stratigraphic change in matrix type is common in lake sediment records, requiring approaches to matrix effect and overlap correction, and to calibration, that are as generalised as possible. Finally, lake sediments are highly heterogeneous such that reliable characterisation depends as much on sample number as on the precision of individual measurements. This talk presents the approach we have developed at Liverpool, illustrating it using a number of case studies.

12:00 Lunch & Exhibition.

13:30 Mark N Ingham, L D Grimsley S J Carter & N D Eatherington , British Gelogical Survey.
When Preparation is not an option...
For a geologist undertaking XRFS analysis, the use of sample preparation to improve the quality of data is normal practice. The analysis of cores and archive materials do however pose problems for XRFS as does the increasing accuracy required of field-based techniques. Often there is no alternative to in-situ testing and irreplaceable materials may require preservation in their original state. While XRFS is a non-destructive technique, sample preparation is not. This talk will cover the XRFS analysis of unique geological materials where sub-sampling and sample preparation is simply not an option.

14:00 Prof. Graham Martin, Victoria and Albert Museum.
Heritage and XRF - unlikely companions?
The heritage sector is not one of those areas of application for XRF that immediately springs to mind. However, distributed around the world in something like 15 different location from The State Hermitage, St Petersburg, The National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, the British Museum and through to the V&A XRF finds many areas of use in heritage.
The presentation will overview the present XRF system at the V&A and illustrate the use with example.

14:30 Owen Butler , Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL), Buxton.
and Elke Adriaenssens ,Vlaamse Millieumaatschappij (VMM), Antwerp, Belgium.
Analysis of heavy metals in suspended airborne particles collected on filter papers by XRF techniques.
This joint presentation will describe the use of XRF in a regulatory environment for the analysis of air filter samples. In the first half of the presentation, Owen will initially present an overview of procedures used at HSL to present paper filter samples to their instrumentation. He will then describe some ongoing work to generate and certify new instrument calibration filters samples. Elke will then describe ongoing work at VMM, the Flemish Environmental Agency, where XRF techniques are used to monitor airborne heavy metal pollution in ambient air. Owen will conclude the presentation by outlining XRF developments in this measurement arena.

15:00 Tea (sponsored by Bruker AXS)

15:30 Richard Meeres, Bureau of Analysed Samples Limited.
A History of the Development of Certified Reference Materials.
This paper will chart how Ridsdale & Co Ltd introduced Standard Samples (as they were known in the early 1900's) to the UK, and will describe how the progression of these products to Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) developed under the guidance of their Associates, Bureau of Analysed Samples Ltd (BAS).
The presentation will explain the enormous influence of the Ridsdale Family in these activities and will detail how BAS remains at the forefront of production and supply of iron, steel, non-ferrous metal and mineral CRMs worldwide. Their recent link with the equally longstanding and prestigious Contract Analysis Company, Pattinson & Stead, who specialise in the analyses of ores and minerals, will also be described.

16:00 Alison Burke, Huntsman Pigments.
Routine Analysis of TiO₂ by WD XRF.
Huntsman Pigments is a global manufacturer of pigmentary titanium dioxide which is used in a wide variety of applications including coatings, plastics and inks. WD XRF is a key analytical technique used to monitor process control and final pigment quality thereby ensuring product consistency for our customers. This paper will describe the challenges in establishing harmonisation of the XRF analysis between the group laboratories and the controls in place to maintain the analytical agreement.

16:20 Andy Scothern, Saint-Gobain Gypsum.
XRF analysis in the Gypsum Industry.
The gypsum industry delivers plaster and plasterboard products for a wide variety of customers and applications. Knowledge of material properties, and how these may change, is essential for manufacturing efficiency, process control and product development. The Gypsum Technical Centre (GTC) in the UK is the leading research facility of Saint-Gobain Gypsum. The GTC laboratories incorporate a large range of analytical techniques, including XRF, that support the key development projects of the company. This talk will cover the phases of gypsum minerals and the techniques used to analyse them - with a particular emphasis on XRF methods.

16:40 Question & Answer Session.
Your chance to ask a question there wasn't time for earlier in the day or come prepared to ask a specific question to help you in your day to day work. There will be a wealth of expertise in the audience just waiting to be tapped!

17:00 Close

Our previous one day meeting (10th May 2006):
Programme.
Report.