Introduction
The Bruker Tracer 5 is a fully portable analyzer based on energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) technology. When X-ray radiation from the handheld XRF instruments' X-ray tube (source) excites the atoms in a sample, the atoms release low-energy fluorescent X-rays detected by device's detector. The energy level of each fluorescent X-ray is characteristic of the element excited. As a result, one can tell what elements are present based on the emitted energy patterns of the X-rays. The Bruker Tracer5 portable XRF (pXRF) allows for elemental measurements on section halves, discrete samples and prepared powder mounts. It is standard for the onboard technician to train one or more scientists in pXRF operation and sample prep. The scientists are then responsible for the work flow during the expedition. The Tracer5 pXRF can be run either independently or through an attached pc laptop. The Bruker RemoteCtrl software mirrors what is present on the screen of the Tracer5 and all functions are the same. If the connection between the device and the laptop is interrupted, there is no loss of data.
Before you begin: The instrument generates X-rays and should only be operated by users trained in radiation safety. Do not expose any part of your body to X-rays!
Theory of Operation
X-ray fluorescence is the production of X-rays in the electron orbits. The handheld XRF functions by bombarding the atoms of the target sample with X-rays. Some of the photons collide with K (and L) shell electrons of the sample, dislodging them from their orbits. This leaves a vacant space in the K (L) shell, which is immediately filled by an electron from the L, M, or N (M or N) shell. This is accompanied by a decrease in the atom's energy, and an X-ray photon is emitted with energy equal to this decrease. Since the energy change is uniquely defined for atoms of a given element, it is possible to predict definite frequencies for the emitted X-rays. This means that when electrons are dislodged from atoms, the emitted X-rays are always identical. These X-rays are analyzed with an X-ray detector and the quantity of K shell and/or L shell X-rays detected will be proportional to the number of atoms of the particular element or elements present in the sample.
Instrument and Accessories
- Bruker Tracer 5i portable XRF (pXRF) with 5 application calibrations:
- GeoExploration
- Limestone
- Mudrock (Air)
- Mudrock (He)
- Precious Metals 2
- Desktop stand
- Benchtop stand
- Remote trigger cable
- 3mm and 8mm collimators
- Filters for Cu, 200µm/Ti, 25µm/Al, 300µm (black) and Al, 76µm (orange)
- Prolene exam windows
- Login to the computer using the login information on top of the computer keyboard.
- First, turn on the instrument. To do this press the button on top of the device screen and hold it for a few seconds (Figure 1).
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Figure 6. pXRF initial screen. Left: X-ray is not active. Right: X-ray is active
Exporting Data
- Click on
in the bottom left of the main screen. After you click on Utilities the following window will appear on the screen (Figure 7).
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6. Close Bruker RemoteCtrl.
Bruker Instrument Tools
After you backup the data go to Bruker Instrument Tools icon in the computer's initial window (Figure 9).
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Figure 15. Copy GeoExploration file and paste in to a folder in Windows(C:/)
Opening the file in Excel
- Open Excel.
- Open a new workbook and go to the Data tab and select
(Figure 16).
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11. Save the file to Uservol 
K_Inorganic_Geochemistry pXRF 393 Raw Data (Figure 20) for Exp 393.
LIMS Component Table
| PLACEHOLDER until the new PXRF components and data structure is defined | |||
| ANALYSIS | TABLE | NAME | ABOUT TEXT |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | Exp | Exp: expedition number |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | Site | Site: site number |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | Hole | Hole: hole number |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | Core | Core: core number |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | Type | Type: type indicates the coring tool used to recover the core (typical types are F, H, R, X). |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | Sect | Sect: section number |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | A/W | A/W: archive (A) or working (W) section half. |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | text_id | Text_ID: automatically generated database identifier for a sample, also carried on the printed labels. This identifier is guaranteed to be unique across all samples. |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | sample_number | Sample Number: automatically generated database identifier for a sample. This is the primary key of the SAMPLE table. |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | label_id | Label identifier: automatically generated, human readable name for a sample that is printed on labels. This name is not guaranteed unique across all samples. |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | sample_name | Sample name: short name that may be specified for a sample. You can use an advanced filter to narrow your search by this parameter. |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | x_sample_state | Sample state: Single-character identifier always set to "W" for samples; standards can vary. |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | x_project | Project: similar in scope to the expedition number, the difference being that the project is the current cruise, whereas expedition could refer to material/results obtained on previous cruises |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | x_capt_loc | Captured location: "captured location," this field is usually null and is unnecessary because any sample captured on the JR has a sample_number ending in 1, and GCR ending in 2 |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | location | Location: location that sample was taken; this field is usually null and is unnecessary because any sample captured on the JR has a sample_number ending in 1, and GCR ending in 2 |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | x_sampling_tool | Sampling tool: sampling tool used to take the sample (e.g., syringe, spatula) |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | changed_by | Changed by: username of account used to make a change to a sample record |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | changed_on | Changed on: date/time stamp for change made to a sample record |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | sample_type | Sample type: type of sample from a predefined list (e.g., HOLE, CORE, LIQ) |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | x_offset | Offset (m): top offset of sample from top of parent sample, expressed in meters. |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | x_offset_cm | Offset (cm): top offset of sample from top of parent sample, expressed in centimeters. This is a calculated field (offset, converted to cm) |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | x_bottom_offset_cm | Bottom offset (cm): bottom offset of sample from top of parent sample, expressed in centimeters. This is a calculated field (offset + length, converted to cm) |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | x_diameter | Diameter (cm): diameter of sample, usually applied only to CORE, SECT, SHLF, and WRND samples; however this field is null on both Exp. 390 and 393, so it is no longer populated by Sample Master |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | x_orig_len | Original length (m): field for the original length of a sample; not always (or reliably) populated |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | x_length | Length (m): field for the length of a sample [as entered upon creation] |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | x_length_cm | Length (cm): field for the length of a sample. This is a calculated field (length, converted to cm). |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | status | Status: single-character code for the current status of a sample (e.g., active, canceled) |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | old_status | Old status: single-character code for the previous status of a sample; used by the LIME program to restore a canceled sample |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | original_sample | Original sample: field tying a sample below the CORE level to its parent HOLE sample |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | parent_sample | Parent sample: the sample from which this sample was taken (e.g., for PWDR samples, this might be a SHLF or possibly another PWDR) |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | standard | Standard: T/F field to differentiate between samples (standard=F) and QAQC standards (standard=T) |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | login_by | Login by: username of account used to create the sample (can be the LIMS itself [e.g., SHLFs created when a SECT is created]) |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | login_date | Login date: creation date of the sample |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | legacy | Legacy flag: T/F indicator for when a sample is from a previous expedition and is locked/uneditable on this expedition |
| PXRF | TEST | test changed_on | TEST changed on: date/time stamp for a change to a test record. |
| PXRF | TEST | test status | TEST status: single-character code for the current status of a test (e.g., active, in process, canceled) |
| PXRF | TEST | test old_status | TEST old status: single-character code for the previous status of a test; used by the LIME program to restore a canceled test |
| PXRF | TEST | test test_number | TEST test number: automatically generated database identifier for a test record. This is the primary key of the TEST table. |
| PXRF | TEST | test date_received | TEST date received: date/time stamp for the creation of the test record. |
| PXRF | TEST | test instrument | TEST instrument [instrument group]: field that describes the instrument group (most often this applies to loggers with multiple sensors); often obscure (e.g., user_input) |
| PXRF | TEST | test analysis | TEST analysis: analysis code associated with this test (foreign key to the ANALYSIS table) |
| PXRF | TEST | test x_project | TEST project: similar in scope to the expedition number, the difference being that the project is the current cruise, whereas expedition could refer to material/results obtained on previous cruises |
| PXRF | TEST | test sample_number | TEST sample number: the sample_number of the sample to which this test record is attached; a foreign key to the SAMPLE table |
| PXRF | TEST | Top depth CSF-A (m) | Top depth CSF-A (m): position of observation expressed relative to the top of the hole. |
| PXRF | TEST | Bottom depth CSF-A (m) | Bottom depth CSF-A (m): position of observation expressed relative to the top of the hole. |
| PXRF | TEST | Top depth CSF-B (m) | Top depth [other] (m): position of observation expressed relative to the top of the hole. The location is presented in a scale selected by the science party or the report user. |
| PXRF | TEST | Bottom depth CSF-B (m) | Bottom depth [other] (m): position of observation expressed relative to the top of the hole. The location is presented in a scale selected by the science party or the report user. |
| PXRF | RESULT | datetime | RESULT datetime: date/time stamp for each run |
| PXRF | RESULT | mode | RESULT mode: the calibration selected for the run (e.g., Geochem, Mudrock) |
| PXRF | RESULT | run_number | RESULT run number: serial number of the run (incremented by the instrument for each sample) |
| PXRF | SAMPLE | sample_name | SAMPLE sample name: repeated display of the sample label ID from the SAMPLE table |
| PXRF | RESULT | reading | RESULT reading number: human-input run number for each sample |
| PXRF | RESULT | run_spm_asman_id | RESULT spectrum file ASMAN_ID: serial number of the ASMAN link for the spectral raw data (.SPM) file |
| PXRF | RESULT | run_spm_filename | RESULT spectrum filename: file name for the spectral raw data (.SPM) file |
| PXRF | RESULT | run_main_asman_id | RESULT main report ASMAN_ID: serial number of the ASMAN link for the reduced data table (.CSV) file |
| PXRF | RESULT | run_main_filename | RESULT main report filename: file name for the reduced data table (.CSV) file |
| PXRF | RESULT | offset (cm) | RESULT offset (cm): position of the observation made, measured relative to the top of a section half. |
| PXRF | RESULT | result comments | RESULT comment: contents of a result parameter with name = "comment," usually shown on reports as "Result comments" |
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LN-BrukerpXRFHandheld-270922-1259-68.pdf - September 27, 2022
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