Quite a few of our customers have commented on how their handheld pXRF can “test the same sample multiple times, and get a slightly different answer each time”.
Stepping back from XRF technology specifically, having some knowledge of the formal terms used around instrumentation technology and the data that it produces, quickly clears up this confusion.
Instinctually, a lot of people conflate the words “Accuracy” and “Precision” to mean the same thing, which they don’t.
- When you hear “accuracy”, think “how close to the correct answer did the instrument get”.
- When you hear “precision”, think “how close together were the results of repeated measurements of the same thing”. This is known as the instrument’s “repeatability”.
A good resource on this topic as it relates to XRF (X-ray fluorescence) analyzers can be found here:
https://www.olympus-ims.com/en/insight/accuracy-vs-precision-in-handheld-xrf-whats-the-difference/
Using a handheld XRF to test either rocks, RC chip trays, or powder/pulp samples can be fraught with precision errors due to the distance or the angle you’re holding the sample from the XRF Analyzer’s detector window.
Our next blog post will demonstrate, using real collected GeoChem data, how field users of handheld XRFs can employ better sample preparation in conjunction with our XRF Analyzer Test Stand, the “Easy Sampler”, to yield much better precision of GeoChem mineral data.
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of having to invest in huge, expensive sample prep equipment or automated XRF machines, our products empower you to get good XRF GeoChem data without the need to ask your drillers offsiders to become glorified laboratory technicians!
Our equipment will increase XRF sample assay throughput, help you select samples to send to the laboratory.
Because “Faster Data Equals Better Decisions” …but only if the data is credible and believable. The precision and accuracy of your GeoChem data that you collected with your XRF Analyzer, helps you have that confidence.
Contact us at [email protected] if you would like more information, or would like to talk to us about XRF rentals.