| Abstract: |
Over the years several different methods have been developed for the quantitative x-ray microanalysis of individual particles Small (1981), Armstrong (1991). Despite the large number of quantitative methods available, the accuracy for the x-ray microanalysis of particles, as shown in Fig. 1, has been limited to roughly 10 % relative uncertainty which compares to 5 % for the same material analyzed as a bulk sample. At this level of accuracy, an unambiguous identification of the chemical phase of a given particle is often difficult. The relatively poor accuracy for quantitative particle analysis results from difficulties in predicting x-ray generation and emission from particles because of their size and morphology (Small 1981). Given the often large uncertainties associated with the quantitative x-ray microanalysis of particles, (EBSD) offers an alternative approach to particle analysis that can be used in conjunction with quantitative x-ray microanalysis to identify the chemical-phase of crystalline particles. |
