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The first hard x-ray beamline at BESSY II has been installed by BAM and PTB at a superconducting 7 T wavelength shifter. The main optical elements of the beamline are a double-multilayer monochromator and a double-crystal monochromator. Depending on the application, the two devices are used separately or in-line. The main applications of the monochromatic radiation with photon energies up to 60 keV are x-ray fluorescence analysis, micro computed tomography, x-ray topography, detector calibration and reflectometry. Calculable undispersed radiation up to 200 keV is available for radiometric applications.
Synchrotron radiation-induced X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF) spectrometry was applied to determine iodine concentrations in alluvial Pt–Pd aggregates with delicate morphological features from Córrego Bom Sucesso, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The millimetre-sized botryoidal and rod-shaped grains of alluvial Pt–Pd–Hg intermetallic compounds have surprisingly high concentrations of iodine, in the range from 10 to ~ 120 μg/g. Because iodine is a strongly biophile element, known to be enriched in peatlands and plant remains in soils by microbial activity, its concentration in the Pt–Pd nuggets suggests biogenic precious-metal fixation in the aqueous alluvial milieu. Biogenic and inorganic processes, such as bioreduction and electrochemical metal accretion, could mutually have contributed to the growth of nanoparticles, formed on organic templates, to millimetric Pt–Pd nuggets.
Fire-gilding is a historic technique for the application of golden layers on a number of different base materials utilizing a gold amalgam. This technique leaves a significant amount of Hg in the golden layer, giving archeometrists a reliable indicator to identify firegildings.
Recent findings on presumably fire-gilded objects have shown in several cases significantly lower Hg content than previously studied objects. This prompted a synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence investigation into the Hg distribution along the material–gilding interface, as well as a series of measurements regarding the Hg content development in fire-gilded samples during artificial aging. This work presents findings on laboratory-prepared fire-gildings, indicating an Hg enrichment at the interface of firegilded silver samples. Notably, such an enrichment is missing in fire-gilded copper samples. Further, it is confirmed that fire-gilded layers typically do not undercut an Hg bulk content of 5%. In this light, it seems improbable that ancient samples that contain <5% Hg are fire-gilded. The results presented in this study might lead to a non-destructive method to identify the Hg enrichment at the interface. This might be obtained by a combination of different non-destructive measurements and might also work unambiguously in samples in which the gold top layer is altered.
The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is currently a potential candidate for stationary energy storage. A major challenge is the unintended vanadium transport through the separator, which results in a fade of capacity. To overcome this issue, it is necessary to understand the transport processes in the membrane on a more fundamental level. In this work, the vanadium species distribution in Nafion™ 117 after cyclization was investigated. Two membranes, one from a charged VRFB and another from a discharged VRFB, were analyzed using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV/VIS) and X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (XANES). Little difference between the two membranes was recognizable according to the UV/VIS results. In comparison, the XANES results showed that the membrane from the charged VRFB contains more V3+ than VO2+, whereas for the discharged case, more VO2+ is present in the membrane.
Fire-gilding or amalgam gilding is a historical technique for the gilding of objects. The object to be gilded is coated with an amalgam (a solution of gold (Au) in mercury (Hg)). By heating, the largest part of the Hg is subsequently evaporated and there remains a gold layer, containing still detectable amounts of Hg.
The information on the used gilding technique might be crucial for the conservation and preservation of archaeological objects. Therefore, the main objective of this work is the detailed understanding of the behaviour of Hg under conditions of fire gilding. I.e. the understanding of the diffusion and evaporating behaviour of Hg, depending on parameters like substrate material (silver, copper, bronze, brass...), heating temperature and duration, and the resulting Hg depth profiles under these conditions. Secondary objective is the establishment of a measurement protocol for the unambiguous identification of different types of gilding, based solely on non-destructive methods, which can be applied to historical samples.
In a first step, fire-gilded samples have been prepared on Cu and Ag sheet metal, respectively. Some of the gildings were produced by a professional goldsmith; another set of samples was produced under laboratory conditions. These samples have been examined with NAA (neutron activation analysis) and SR-XRF (synchrotron radiation induced X-ray fluorescence). First results of these measurements will be presented and discussed.
Short-range order has been investigated in Zr69.5Cu12Ni11Al7.5 and Zr41.5Ti41.5Ni17 metallic glasses using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. While both of these alloys are good glass formers, there is a difference in their glass-forming abilities (Zr41.5Ti41.5Ni17 > Zr69.5Cu12Ni11Al7.5). This difference is explained by inciting the relative importance of strong chemical order, icosahedral content, cluster symmetry and configuration diversity.
The use of polycapillary optics in confocal micro-X-ray fluorescence analysis (CMXRF) enables the destruction-free 3D investigation of the elemental composition of samples. The energy-dependent transmission properties, concerning intensity and spatial beam propagation of three polycapillary half lenses, which are vital for the quantitative interpretation of such CMXRF measurements, are investigated in a monochromatic confocal laboratory setup at the Atominstitut of TU Wien, and a synchrotron setup on the BAMline beamline at the BESSY II Synchrotron, Helmholtz-Zentrum-Berlin. The empirically established results, concerning the intensity of the transmitted beam, are compared with theoretical values calculated with the polycap software package and a newly presented analytical model for the transmission function.
The resulting form of the newly modelled energy-dependent transmission function is shown to be in good agreement with Monte Carlo simulated results for the complete energy regime, as well as the empirically established results for the energy regime between 6 keV and 20 keV. An analysis of possible fabrication errors was conducted via pinhole scans showing only minor fabrication errors in two of the investigated polycapillary optics. The energy-dependent focal spot size of the primary polycapillary was investigated in the laboratory via the channel-wise evaluation of knife-edge scans. Experimental results are compared with data given by the manufacturer as well as geometric estimations for the minimal focal spot size. Again, the resulting measurement points show a trend in agreement with geometrically estimated results and manufacturer data.
This contribution provides an overview of the BAMline synchrotron radiation beamline, which specializes in hard X-ray spectroscopy techniques for materials research. The BAMline offers X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), and tomography to study materials' electronic structure, chemical composition, and structure. Key capabilities include standard and dispersive XAS for electronic structure, micro-XRF for elemental mapping, coded aperture imaging, and depth-resolved grazing exit XAS. The BAMline enables in situ characterization during materials synthesis and functions for energy, catalysis, corrosion, biology, and cultural heritage applications.
Ongoing developments like the implementation of machine learning techniques for experiment optimization and data analysis will be discussed. For instance, Bayesian optimization is being used to improve beamline alignment and scanning. An outlook to the future, where the BAMline will continue pioneering dynamic and multi-scale characterization, aided by advanced data science methods, to provide unique insights into materials research, will be given.
Fourteen hollow and one cast anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines produced in Incan times for ritual offerings from the Ethnologisches Museum in Berlin were selected to investigate the technologies and alloys used for their fabrication with portable optical microscopy and non-destructive XRF elemental analysis. This group of gold and silver figurines includes typical specimens of the Inca production, such as the four silver figurines from the Island Coati in Lake Titicaca and the two gold figurines from Pachacamac, as well as specimens that are seldom present in collections, which makes them atypical. In addition to the tall figurines with atypical hair or standing pose, one bicolour figurine half silver, half gold) and another with coloured inlays were included in this study for comparison. The large majority of the silver specimens are made from very high quality alloys and the gold figurines are made from alloys containing low copper contents and silver ranging from 30wt% to 52wt%.
We report on the trace analysis of copper and iron impurities in multicrystalline silicon wafers with the microbeam X-ray fluorescence (µ-XRF) technique. The efficiency of solar cells, which are based on multicrystalline silicon wafers, is strongly influenced by minor contamination with metals such as copper and iron. Application of compound refractive lenses (CRLs) in µ-XRF allows versatile two-dimensional mapping of relevant contaminations and localization of their sites of deposition. In this context, the measured bulk average limit of detection (LOD) was one picogram of iron and copper per gram of silicon. We suggest that µ-XRF is a valuable tool for non-destructive spatial (3D) quantification of metal impurities in a wide range of materials and devices whose functioning could be critically affected by impurities.
Partial least squares (PLS) regression-based methods have been proven to be a good alternative for quantification in X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. These methods are fast and easy to use though giving satisfactory results under certain conditions. One of these conditions is the necessity of having a great number of spectra to build the model (training set). The choice of the constituent concentration range in the training set has a big influence on the accuracy of the model. Better accuracy is obtained if the model is built in relatively narrow regions containing (or close to) the real concentration value.
In the present work, Monte Carlo (MC) simulated spectra are used to form the training set. The advantage to use MC generated training spectra is the unlimited availability of perfect standards.
This paper aims to improve the accuracy of the method by introducing a multiple step procedure in order to build the PLS model using narrow concentration range close to (or containing) the real concentration values in the samples to be measured.
This approach consists of an initial guess of the constituents' concentrations and a preliminary PLS model before building the final model. The prediction of ten MC simulated alloy standard samples containing Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Sr, Zr, and Mo using this method allowed to have average relative prediction errors less than 5% for elements with narrow concentration ranges.
High Speed, High Resolution imaging spectrometers based on pnCCDs for XRF and XRD applications
(2016)
For many years pnCCDs have been well known as X-ray detectors for spectroscopic imaging in many fields of science: X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (XRF), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) with light sources in large accelerator facilities as well as with laboratory light sources or with X-rays from celestial sources in X-ray astronomy. A brief introduction in GEXRF (Grazing Emission XRF) measurements with a laboratory laser produced plasma source will be given, PIXE (Particle Induced X-ray Emission) measurements and D2XRF (Double Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence) and Slicing experiments with pnCCDs coupled to polycapillary optics performed at the BESSY synchrotron will be shown. Energy-dispersive Laue diffraction with ultra-hard X-rays for the analysis of defects in metals will conclude the overview of spectroscopic X-ray imaging measurements in the field of structure and dynamics of matter.
Studies by Synchrotron Radiation-X-Ray Fluorescence (SR-XRF) for the search of the presence of trace elements like Sb, Sn, Te and Pb in archaeological metallic objects found on the territory of Romania-old coins and Bronze Age jewelry, aimed to determine the provenance of the gold used in their manufacture. The results are compared with the detailed elemental composition of alluvial or primary gold samples, obtained by the same technique. This work attempted to establish the origin of the gold used for the mint of two different types of koson coins. We found that the kosons with monogram are made of refined gold, while the one used for the kosons without monogram is mainly alluvial. The gold used in the manufacture of the Calarasi Vulchitrun-type disk and the Tauteu hair ring is also of alluvial origin.
To gain insight into the possible origin of the gold used in the production of tesserae containing gold leaf less than 0.5 μm thick placed between two layers of glass, we propose a non-destructive synchrotron radiation (SR) XRF protocol based on sequential analysis under optimised analytical conditions. Using this protocol, trace element analysis is achieved with detection limits of 1–6 mg/kg. As Pt and Au have adjacent fluorescence energies, we tested the most challenging situation, when Pt is present in very low concentrations in gold. Data obtained by double-dispersive XRF (D2XRF) and μXRF for fourth–ninth-century mosaics decorating nine Eastern and Western religious buildings show that the Eastern and Western tesserae are made from different alloys.
However, these alloys are identical to those used to make gold leaf for gilding, because plastic deformation requires the use of gold alloys with high ductility and malleability. Although trace element composition of gold used in the concerned period is only available for coins, by comparing the amounts of Pt contained in the tesserae and in the coins we show that Roman tesserae are made from Roman gold, as described in the documentary sources. We observe for the Byzantine period the use of a Byzantine gold and of gold supposedly from different stages of recycling, and we suggest the use of Umayyad and Abbasid gold for the production of Islamic tesserae.
Getting more efficient – The use of Bayesian optimization and Gaussian processes at the BAMline
(2022)
For more than 20 years, BAM is operating the BAMline at the synchrotron BESSY II in Berlin Adlershof. During this time, the complexity of the setup and the amount of data generated have multiplied. To increase the effectiveness and in preparation for BESSY III, algorithms from the field of machine learning are increasingly used.
In this paper, several examples in the areas of beamline alignment and measurement time optimization based on Bayesian optimization (BO) with Gaussian processes (GP) are presented. BO is a method for finding the global optimum of a function using a probabilistic model represented by a GP. The advantage of this method is that it can handle high-dimensional problems, does not depend on the initial estimate, and also provides uncertainty estimates.
After a short introduction to BO and GP, the first example is the automatic alignment of our double multilayer monochromator (DMM). To achieve optimal performance, up to three linear and two angular motor positions have to be optimized. To achieve this with a grid scan, at least 100^5 measurement points would be required. Assuming that all positions can be aligned independently, 100*5 points are still necessary. We show that with BO and GP less than 100 points are sufficient to achieve equal or better results.
The second example is the optimization of measurement time in XRF scanning. Here we will show the advantage of the BO GP approach over point-by-point scanning. As can be seen in Fig. 1, the number of points required and thus the measurement time can be reduced by a factor of 50, while the loss in image quality is acceptable. The advantages and limitations of this approach will be discussed.
Getting more efficient – The use of Bayesian optimization and Gaussian processes at the BAMline
(2022)
For more than 20 years, BAM is operating the BAMline at the synchrotron BESSY II in Berlin Adlershof. During this time, the complexity of the setup and the amount of data generated have multiplied. To increase the effectiveness and in preparation for BESSY III, algorithms from the field of machine learning are increasingly used.
After a short introduction to BO and GP, the first example is the automatic alignment of our double multilayer monochromator (DMM).
The second example is the optimization of measurement time in XRF scanning.
Within an interdisciplinary project, preliminary results of which were published in 2007, a group of 65 silver coins (denarii) of Trajan, evenly distributed over the entire span of his reign (2nd to 6th consulate), as well as 3 coins from the reign of his predecessor, the emperor Nerva (AD 9698), had been acquired on the coin market. These pieces could be cross-sectioned in order to carry out analyses. Measurements were performed with µ-XRF and µ-SRXRF to check the fineness of the denarius alloy as well as to investigate if the coins of the different consulates showed distinct traits concerning the main impurities which could suggest a change of ore sources. Furthermore, it was examined whether the influx of precious metals into the Roman treasury after Trajan's Dacian campaigns (AD 101/102 and 105/106) could have had any repercussions on the composition of the denarius alloy; comparative data was provided by the analysis of nine imitations of Roman Republican denarii presumably struck in Dacia. Documentation of the cross-sections was performed with SEM/EDX in order to clarify details concerning the specific microstructure of the coins. An enrichment of Ag of approx. 100 to 200 µm in the near surface regions of most of the coins could be observed, which is due to corrosion effects. Previous metallographic analyses done by several scholars had been inadequate to clarify the central numismatic and economic questions. With the presented analyses, it was possible to correct the results of the earlier research and to provide, for the first time, a secure basis of data for the investigation of the development of the silver alloy used for denarii in Trajan's reign.
Gold is one of the seven metals already known in antiquity and was used from time immemorial as a medium of exchange and for the production of jewelry because of its luster and rarity. In addition, it is easy to work and largely resistant to chemical influences. Investigations of gold using synchrotron radiation excited X-ray fluorescence analysis are non-destructive and provide information about the chemical elements present in the sample under investigation. The investigations presented here at BAMline focus on questions such as the origin, manufacturing process, and association of gold findings. The different questions are explained by a number of examples ranging from the Viking treasure from Hiddensee to the Nebra Sky Disk and finds from Egypt. The find from Bernstorf is discussed in detail. A Bayesian treatment of the authenticity is shown.
Spatially resolved X-ray fluorescence analysis using synchrotron radiation (SR-XRF) at the wavelength shifter beamline, BAMline, at BESSY was used to investigate Renaissance silverpoint drawings as it is extremely sensitive, non-destructive and can be carried out in air using an excitation spot in the hundred micrometer range.
This paper deals with first results of the study of silverpoint drawings of Albrecht Dürer (14711528) belonging to the sketchbook that Albrecht Dürer used during a travel to the Netherlands in 1520/21. These results are compared to a PIXE study performed on drawings from the same sketchbook.
The minor element composition of the silverpoint used for the drawings in the sketchbook was (10.6 ± 3.5) wt.% of Cu and traces of Zn. Mercury was found in the marks but does not belong to the initial composition of the silverpoint as it is attributed to an alteration phenomenon. One drawing of the sketchbook represents an exception. It consists of silver marks containing an additional minor element, Zn, in the marks and was, therefore, created with another silverpoint, probably at a different time than the other drawings.
Gold mosaics, made from gold and glass, are one of the best expressions of Late Antique Byzantine and Early Islamic art. The gold alloys, whose composition seems to indicate that gold coins were re-used to fabricate the tesserae, can be used to provide information on the mosaics chronology. Monetary Byzantine gold is in fact characterized by the presence of Pt, which contents in the gold alloy change over time, but Pt must be measured in 0.2-0.4 µm thickness gold leaves that were beaten to be sandwiched between two glass layers.
To analyze this samples the D²XRF set-up at the BAMline at the BESSY synchrotron in Berlin was used. The combination of a crystal for wavelength dispersion and an energy resolving single photon counting pnCCD allows the realization of this very simple wavelength dispersive detection system. With this system an MDL of 1 μg/g for the determination of Pt in Au under optimal conditions can be reached.
Gold leaf tesserae from nine archaeological sites, covering the period that goes from the 5th c. to the 8th c., were analyzed. The presence of Pt in the majority of the samples confirmed the re-use of coins. The Pt contents separate the samples in three groups, one of which having the same chemical characteristics as the Byzantine gold could be compared to dated coins for chronology. The higher Pt contents for one of other groups suggest
The newly developed EXAFS set-up comprises both time- and spatially-resolved EXAFS information simultaneously in a single-shot. This facile, stable and scanningless set-up was tested at the BAMline @ BESSY-II (Berlin, Germany). The primary broadband beam is generated by a filter/X-ray-mirror combination (bandpass). The transmitted beam through the sample is diffracted by a convexly bent Si (111) crystal, producing a divergent beam. This, in turn, is collected by an area sensitive detector based on a CCD camera, in a theta - 2 theta geometry.
The first in situ measurements were successfully carried out and hereby presented. The case-study involved a well known reaction, in which structural changes are induced over time, and continuously measured. We were able to track structural changes within a 1s time resolution.
Trace elements of ancient gold such as Pt, give fundamental information on the circulation of the metal in the past. In the case of objects from the cultural heritage, the determination of trace elements requires non-destructive point analysis in general. These conditions and the need of good detection limits restrain the number of applicable analytical techniques.
After the development of a PIXE set-up with a selective Cu or Zn filter of 75 µm and of a PIXE-XRF set-up using a primary target of As, we tested the possibilities of spatially resolved Sy-XRF to determine Pt in gold alloys. With a Zn filter, PIXE showed a detection limit of 1000 ppm in gold while PIXE-XRF lowers this detection limit down to 80 ppm. This last value being constrained by the resonant Raman effect produced on gold. In order to improve the detection limit of Pt keeping the non-destructiveness and access to point analysis, we developed an analytical protocol for XRF with synchrotron radiation at BESSY II, using the BAMline set-up. The L-lines of Pt were excited by a beam of energy above and below 11.564 keV and measured using a Si(Li) detector with a 50 µm Cu filter. A µ-beam of 100250 µm2 was used according to the size of the sample. The determination of the Pt content in the samples was carried out by Monte-Carlo simulation and subtraction of Au and Pt spectra obtained on pure standards. The limit of detection for Pt of 20 ppm was determined by using certified standards. The detection limits of a small set of other characteristic elements of gold were also measured using an incident energy of 33 keV.
In this study, we propose the use of nondestructive, depth-resolved, element-specific characterization using grazing exit X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy (GE-XANES) to investigate the corrosion process in compositionally complex alloys (CCAs). By combining grazing exit X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (GE-XRF) geometry and a pnCCD detector, we provide a scanning-free, nondestructive, depth-resolved analysis in a sub-micrometer depth range, which is especially relevant for layered materials, such as corroded CCAs. Our setup allows for spatial and energy-resolved measurements and directly extracts the desired fluorescence line, free from scattering events and other overlapping lines. We demonstrate the potential of our approach on a compositionally complex CrCoNi alloy and a layered reference sample with known composition and specific layer thickness. Our findings indicate that this new GE-XANES approach has exciting opportunities for studying surface catalysis and corrosion processes in real-world materials.
EXAFS analysis of pure elements, binary and ternary equiatomic refractory alloys within the Nb-Zr-Ti-Hf- Ta system is performed at the Nb and Zr K-edges to analyze the evolution of the chemical local environ- ment and the lattice distortion. A good mixing of the elements is found at the atomic scale. For some compounds, a distribution of distances between the central atom and its neighbors suggests a distortion of the structure. Finally, analysis of the Debye-Waller parameters shows some correlation with the lat- tice distortion parameter δ², and allows to quantify experimentally the static disorder in medium entropy alloys.
Examples of XRF and PIXE imaging with few microns resolution using SLcam® a color X-ray camera
(2015)
We present results of recent development of the color X-ray camera, type SLcam®, allowing detection of X-ray images with few microns resolution. Such spectral resolution is achieved with the use of high-quality polycapillary optics combined with sub-pixel resolution. Imaging of Siemens star resolution test chart reveals that the resolution limit of SLcam® can go down to nearly 5µm. Several real sample examples of measurements carried out at the laboratory, synchrotron, and particle-induced X-ray emission beamlines are shown. This is the first time SLcam® is used as particle-induced X-ray emission detector.
A major source of capacity fade of the common vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is the vanadium ion transport through the separator. However, different transport models disagree significantly in the diffusion coefficient for the different V species and the influence of different transport mechanisms. The underlying hypothesis of this work is that reactions inside the membrane are partly responsible for these discrepancies. Accordingly, it was investigated if redox reactions inside the nanoscopic water body of Nafion 117 can occur. X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) was used to distinguish between the different V species inside hydrated Nafion 117 and novel PVDF-based membranes. It was validated that the speciation of vanadium can be performed using the pre-edge peak energy and intensity. The experiments were performed as follows: strips of the membrane were exposed from one site to a V3+ solution (green) and from the other site to a VO2+ solution (yellow). The ions could diffuse into the membrane from both sides. A change of color of the membrane strip was observed. The blue color in the middle of the strip indicated that VO2+ was formed where V3+ and VO2+ got in contact. Using XANES this reaction inside Nafion was proven.
Evaluation of total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) analysis using a color X-ray camera (CXC)
(2013)
Gold ist eines der sieben schon im Altertum bekannten Metalle und wurde wg. seines Glanzes und seiner Seltenheit von alters her als Tauschmittel und zur Herstellung von Schmuck benutzt. Außerdem ist es einfach bearbeitbar und weitestgehend gegen chemische Einflüsse resistent.
Die Untersuchungen von Gold mit synchrotronstrahlungsangeregter Röntgenfluoreszenzanalyse sind zerstörungsfrei und geben Auskunft über die in der untersuchten Probe vorhandenen chemischen Elemente.
Bei den hier vorgestellten Untersuchungen an der BAMline stehen Fragestellungen wie Herkunft, Herstellungsverfahren und Zusammengehörigkeit von Goldfunden im Vordergrund. Die verschiedenen Fragestellungen werden an einer Reihe von Beispielen erläutert die vom Wikingerschatz aus Hiddensee über die Himmelsscheibe von Nebra bis hin zu Funden aus Ägypten langen. Zusätzlich werden die modernen Messmethoden vorgestellt, die am Synchrotron heutzutage zur Verfügung stehen.
Enhancing efficiency at bamline: employing data science and machine learning for x-ray research
(2023)
This talk discusses how data science and machine learning techniques are being applied at the BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing to enhance efficiency and automation at the BAMLine synchrotron facility. The methods presented include Gaussian processes and Bayesian optimization for beamline adjustment and optimization of X-ray measurements. These statistical techniques allow automated alignment of beamline components and active learning scanning to reduce measurement time.
Additional machine learning methods covered are neural networks for quantification of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) data and decoding coded apertures.
Our aim is to develop a simple and inexpensive method for full field X-ray fluorescence imaging.We combine an energydispersive array detector with a coded aperture to obtain high resolut ion images. To obtain the information from the recorded image a reconstruction step is necessary. The reconstruction methods we have developed, were tested on simulated data and then applied to experimental data. The first tests were carried out at the BAMline @BESSY II. This method enables the simultaneous detection of multiple elements,which is important e.g. in the field of catalysis.
A liver biopsy specimen from a Wilson’s disease (WD) patient was analyzed by means of micro-X-ray fluorescence (mXRF) spectroscopy to determine the elemental distribution. First, bench-top mXRF was utilized for a coarse scan of the sample under laboratory conditions. The resulting distribution maps of copper and iron enabled the determination of a region of interest (ROI) for further analysis. In order to obtain more detailed elemental information, this ROI was analyzed by synchrotron radiation (SR)-based mXRF with a beam size of 4 mm offering a resolution at the cellular level. Distribution maps of additional elements to copper and iron like zinc and manganese were obtained due to a higher sensitivity of SR-mXRF. In addition to this, X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) was performed to identify the oxidation states of copper in WD. This speciation analysis indicated a mixture of copper(I) and copper(II) within the WD liver tissue.
Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) measurement of thin-film thickness in the nanometre range
(2002)
The thickness of thin films of platinum and nickel on fused silica and silicon substrates has been determined by EPMA using the commercial software STRATAGEM for calculation of film thickness. Film thickness ranged in the order 10 nm. An attempt was made to estimate the confidence range of the method by comparison with results from other methods of analysis. The data show that in addition to the uncertainty of the spectral intensity measurement and the complicated fitting routine, systematic deviation caused by the underlying model should be added. The scattering in the results from other methods does not enable specification of a range of uncertainty, but deviations from the real thickness are estimated to be less than 20%.
With the aim of improving limits of detection (LOD) of trace elements in a matrix with adjacent fluorescence energies, a simple double dispersive X-ray fluorescence detection system (D2XRF) was constructed to operate at the beamlines BAMline and the mySpot @ BESSY II. This system is based on the combination of a crystal analyzer with an energy resolving single photon counting pnCCD. Without further collimators, the efficient suppression of the background by the pnCCD and the good energy resolution of the crystal results in improved LOD. In first order reflections, an energy resolution of 13 eV for Cu Kα was reached, and an energy range of 1 keV was covered in one shot.
This new system was applied to the detection of platinum (Pt) in gold leaves with a LOD of 0.9 mg/kg, which is the lowest attained by totally non-destructive methods nowadays. The presence of Pt in gilded objects from Abydos and Byzantine mosaics provides vital information, as it indicates the alluvial origin of the gold for these examples.
X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) provides a unique, atom-specific tool to probe the electronic structure of solids. By surmounting long-held limitations of powder-based XAS using a dynamically averaged powder in a Resonant Acoustic Mixer (RAM), we demonstrate how time-resolved in situ (TRIS) XAS provides unprecedented detail of mechanochemical synthesis. The use of a custom-designed dispersive XAS (DXAS) setup allows us to increase the time resolution over existing fluorescence measurements from ∼15 min to 2 s for a complete absorption spectrum. Hence, we here establish TRIS-XAS as a viable method for studying mechanochemical reactions and sampling reaction kinetics. The generality of our approach is demonstrated through RAM-induced (i) bottom-up Au nanoparticle mechanosynthesis and (ii) the synthesis of a prototypical metal organic framework, ZIF-8. Moreover, we demonstrate that our approach also works with the addition of a stainless steel milling ball, opening the door to using TRIS-DXAS for following conventional ball milling reactions. We expect that our TRIS-DXAS approach will become an essential part of the mechanochemical tool box.
Phoenician ivory objects (8th century B.C., Syria) from the collections of the Badisches Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe, Germany, have been studied with full field X-ray fluorescence microimaging, using synchrotron radiation (SR-FF-microXRF). The innovative Color X-ray Camera (CXC), a full-field detection device (SLcam), was used at the X-ray fluorescence beamline of the ANKA synchrotron facility (ANKA-FLUO, KIT, Karlsruhe, Germany) to noninvasively study trace metal distributions at the surface of the archeological ivory objects. The outstanding strength of the imaging technique with the CXC is the capability to record the full XRF spectrum with a spatial resolution of 48 µm on a zone of a size of 11.9 × 12.3 mm² (264 × 264 pixels). For each analyzed region, 69696 spectra were simultaneously recorded. The principal elements detected are P, Ca, and Sr, coming from the ivory material itself; Cu, characteristic of pigments; Fe and Pb, representing sediments or pigments; Mn, revealing deposited soil minerals; Ti, indicating restoration processes or correlated with Fe sediment traces; and Au, linked to a former gilding. This provides essential information for the assessment of the original appearance of the ivory carvings. The determined elemental maps specific of possible pigments are superimposed on one another to visualize their respective distributions and reconstruct the original polychromy and gilding. Reliable hypotheses for the reconstruction of the original polychromy of the carved ivories are postulated on this basis.
Rund ein Jahr haben DIN und DKE in einem gemeinsamen Projekt mit dem Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie und zusammen mit ca. 300 Fachleuten aus Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft, öffentlicher Hand und Zivilgesellschaft an der Normungsroadmap Künstliche Intelligenz gearbeitet. Eine hochrangige Steuerungsgruppe unter dem Vorsitz von Prof. Wolfgang Wahlster hat die Erarbeitung koordiniert und begleitet.
Ziel der Roadmap ist die frühzeitige Entwicklung eines Handlungsrahmens für die Normung und Standardisierung, der die internationale Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der deutschen Wirtschaft unterstützt und europäische Wertmaßstäbe auf die internationale Ebene hebt.
The development of earth-abundant catalysts for selective electrochemical CO2 conversion is a central challenge. Cu-Sn bimetallic catalysts can yield selective CO2 reduction toward either CO or formate. This study presents oxide-derived Cu-Sn catalysts tunable for either product and seeks to understand the synergetic effects between Cu and Sn causing these selectivity trends. The materials undergo significant transformations under CO2 reduction conditions, and their dynamic bulk and surface structures are revealed by correlating observations from multiple methods—X-ray absorption spectroscopy for in situ study, and quasi in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for surface sensitivity. For both types of catalysts, Cu transforms to metallic Cu0 under reaction conditions. However, the Sn speciation and content differ significantly between the catalyst types: the CO-selective catalysts exhibit a surface Sn content of 13 at. % predominantly present as oxidized Sn, while the formate-selective catalysts display an Sn content of ≈70 at. % consisting of both metallic Sn0 and Sn oxide species. Density functional theory simulations suggest that Snδ+ sites weaken CO adsorption, thereby enhancing CO selectivity, while Sn0 sites hinder H adsorption and promote formate production. This study reveals the complex dependence of catalyst structure, composition, and speciation with electrochemical bias in bimetallic Cu catalysts.
The content of chromium in different oxidation states in chromium-treated wood was studied with XANES (X-ray absorption near-edge structure) measurements at the Cr K absorption edge. It could be shown that wood samples treated with Cr(VI) (pine and beech) did still contain a measurable content of Cr(VI) after four weeks conditioning. If such wood samples were heat exposed for 2 h with 135 °C prior conditioning, Cr(VI) was no longer detected by XANES, indicating a complete reduction to chromium (III).
In this study, a multi-proxy approach combining 29Si, 27Al and 1H MAS-NMR, FEG-EPMA, XANES at the Cu K-edge and XRD analytics with hydrochemical tools such as ICP-OES analyses, oxygen-isotope signatures, and thermodynamic modelling was applied to K-silicate-activated metakaolin specimens - with and without CuSO4·5H2O addition - exposed to sulfuric acid at pH = 2 for 35 days. The results revealed a multistage deterioration mechanism governed by (i) acid diffusion, (ii) leaching of K-A-S-H, (iii) microstructural damage related to precipitation of expansive (K,Ca,Al)-sulfate-hydrate phases (iv) complete dissolution of the K-A-S-H framework, (v) and formation of silica gel in the outermost corroded regions. Copper ions were mainly located in layered spertiniite-chrysocolla-like phases in the as-cured materials. The results demonstrate an overall negative effect of Cu addition on chemical material durability, implying that the reported higher durability of Cu-doped AAM in biocorrosion environments can be best explained by bacteriostatic effects.
Das Hiddensee-Projekt
(2009)
Gold ist eines der sieben bereits in der Antike bekannten Metalle und wurde wegen seines Glanzes und seiner Seltenheit seit jeher als Tauschmittel und zur Herstellung von Schmuck verwendet. Außerdem ist es leicht zu bearbeiten und weitgehend resistent gegen chemische Einflüsse.
Die Analyse von Gold mit der durch Synchrotronstrahlung angeregten Röntgenfluoreszenzanalyse ist zerstörungsfrei und liefert Informationen über die in der untersuchten Probe vorhandenen chemischen Elemente.
Im Mittelpunkt der hier vorgestellten Untersuchungen an der BAMline stehen Fragen nach der Herkunft, dem Herstellungsprozess und der Zugehörigkeit von Goldfunden. Die verschiedenen Fragestellungen werden anhand einer Reihe von Beispielen erläutert, die vom Wikingerschatz von Hiddensee über die Himmelsscheibe von Nebra bis hin zu Funden aus Ägypten reichen. Darüber hinaus werden die heute am Synchrotron verfügbaren modernen Messmethoden vorgestellt.
Metakaolin-based alkali activated mortars (AAM) - with and without CuSO4·5H2O and ZnO addition (mass ratio Mn+/solid binder 0.08% to 1.7%) - were casted and exposed within an extensive long-term field campaign over the period of 20 months to a sewer basin, strongly affected by biogenic acid corrosion. (Un-)exposed AAM were tested regarding their physicochemical and microstructural properties, bioreceptivity and overall durability. Metal addition led to a retarding effect during alkali-activation reaction, as well as to an increase in open porosity of up to 3.0% and corresponding lower compressive strength of up to 10.9%. Reduced microbial colonization and diversity were observed on AAM with Cu, while Zn addition led to increased biodiversity. We propose that the observed higher durability of Cu-doped AAM is due to antibacterial effects and associated reduction of biogenic acid production, superseding overall negative effects of metal-dosage on physical material properties. Observed lower durability of Zn-doped AAM was related to combined negative physicochemical and microbial effects.
With the increase in the awareness of the public in the environmental impact of oil shale utilization, it is of interest to reveal the mobility of potentially toxic trace elements in spent oil shale. Therefore, the Cr and As oxidation state in a representative Jordanian oil shale sample from the El-Lajjoun area were investigated upon different lab-scale furnace treatments. The anaerobic pyrolysis was performed in a retort flushed by nitrogen gas at temperatures in between 600 and 800 °C (pyrolytic oil shale, POS). The aerobic combustion was simply performed in porcelain cups heated in a muffle furnace for 4 h at temperatures in between 700 and 1000 °C (burned oil shale, BOS). The high loss-on-ignition in the BOS samples of up to 370 g kg–1 results from both calcium carbonate and organic carbon degradation. The LOI leads to enrichment in the Cr concentrations from 480 mg kg–1 in the original oil shale up to 675 mg kg–1 in the ≥850 °C BOS samples. Arsenic concentrations were not much elevated beyond that in the average shale standard (13 mg kg–1). Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) analysis revealed that within the original oil shale the oxidation states of Cr and As were lower than after its aerobic combustion. Cr(VI) increased from 0% in the untreated or pyrolyzed oil shale up to 60% in the BOS ash combusted at 850 °C, while As(V) increased from 64% in the original oil shale up to 100% in the BOS ash at 700 °C. No Cr was released from original oil shale and POS products by the European compliance leaching test CEN/TC 292 EN 12457-1 (1:2 solid/water ratio, 24 h shaking), whereas leachates from BOS samples showed Cr release in the order of one mmol L–1. The leachable Cr content is dominated by chromate as revealed by catalytic adsorptive stripping voltammetry (CAdSV) which could cause harmful contamination of surface and groundwater in the semiarid environment of Jordan.
X-ray imaging methods are used in many fields of research, as they allow a non-destructive Investigation of the elemental content of various samples. As for every imaging method, for X-ray imaging the optics are of crucial importance. However, these optics can be very expensive and laborious to build, as the requirements on surface roughness and precision are extremely high. Angles of reflection and refraction are often in the range of a few mrad, making a compact design hard to achieve. In this work we present a possibility to simplify X-ray imaging. We have adapted the coded aperture method, a high energy radiation imaging method that has its origins in astrophysics, to full field X-ray fluorescence imaging. In coded aperture imaging, an object is projected through a known mask, the coded aperture, onto an area sensitive detector. The resulting image consists of overlapping projections of the object and a reconstruction step is necessary to obtain the information from the recorded image. We recorded fluorescence images of different samples with an energy-dispersive 2D detector (pnCCD) and investigated different reconstruction methods. With a small coded aperture with 12 holes we could significantly increase the count rate compared to measurements with a straight polycapillary optic. We show that the reconstruction of two different samples is possible with a deconvolution approach, an iterative algorithm and a neural network. These results demonstrate that X-ray fluorescence imaging with coded apertures has the potential to deliver good results without scanning and with an improved count rate, so that measurement times can be shortened compared to established methods.
Compact pnCCD-based X-ray camera with high spatial and energy resolution: a color X-ray camera
(2011)
For many applications there is a requirement for nondestructive analytical investigation of the elemental distribution in a sample. With the improvement of X-ray optics and spectroscopic X-ray imagers, full field X-ray fluorescence (FF-XRF) methods are feasible. A new device for high-resolution X-ray imaging, an energy and spatial resolving X-ray camera, is presented. The basic idea behind this so-called 'color X-ray camera' (CXC) is to combine an energy dispersive array detector for X-rays, in this case a pnCCD, with polycapillary optics. Imaging is achieved using multiframe recording of the energy and the point of impact of single photons. The camera was tested using a laboratory 30 µm microfocus X-ray tube and synchrotron radiation from BESSY II at the BAMline facility. These experiments demonstrate the suitability of the camera for X-ray fluorescence analytics. The camera simultaneously records 69696 spectra with an energy resolution of 152 eV for manganese Kα with a spatial resolution of 50 µm over an imaging area of 12.7 × 12.7 mm². It is sensitive to photons in the energy region between 3 and 40 keV, limited by a 50 µm beryllium window, and the sensitive thickness of 450 µm of the chip. Online preview of the sample is possible as the software updates the sums of the counts for certain energy channel ranges during the measurement and displays 2-D false-color maps as well as spectra of selected regions. The complete data cube of 264 × 264 spectra is saved for further qualitative and quantitative processing.
Naturwissenschaftliche Informationen, insbesondere die chemische Zusammensetzung der Objekte, können Hinweise auf die Hintergründe der Objektherstellung liefern, die der alleinigen kunsthistorischen Begutachtung verborgen blieben. Es können nicht nur Fragen nach dem Prozess, Zeitpunkt und Ort der Herstellung beantwortet werden. Die chemische Analyse gibt auch Hinweise auf Ereignisse und Veränderungen, die erst nach der Fertigstellung des Objektes erfolgten. So werden Alterungsphänomene oder historische Überarbeitungen und Restaurierungen aufgedeckt, aber auch Konservierungsstrategien zur Erhaltung der Kunstwerke unterstützt. Durch den technologischen Fortschritt im Bereich der röntgenanalytischen Methoden, die berührungsfrei, ohne Probennahme und ohne Schädigung für das Untersuchungsobjekt arbeiten, erschließen sich dem Analytiker erstmalig Möglichkeiten, auch sehr wertvolle und fragile Objekte zerstörungsfrei zu untersuchen.
Chemical state of chromium, sulfur, and iron in sewage sludge ash based phosphorus fertilizers
(2015)
As an essential element of all life forms, phosphorus (P) is vital to the fertilizer industry. With decreasing quantity and quality of phosphate rock resources, recycling P-fertilizers from wastewater is of increasing interest. The P-fertilizer products of a recently developed thermochemical process for P recovery from sewage sludge ash (SSA) were investigated by chromium, sulfur, and iron K-edge X-ray near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. This paper focuses the formation and prevention of toxic chromium(VI) and toxic sulfides during the thermochemical processes. Reducing conditions prevent the oxidation of chromium(III) in the SSA to toxic chromium(VI). Sulfides formed under the reducing conditions are nontoxic iron sulfides. Hematite (Fe2O3) present in the SSA is reduced to magnetite (Fe3O4). A gentle post-treatment at 400 °C under oxidizing conditions converts the iron sulfides into plant-available iron sulfates. This oxidative post-treatment does not form undesired chromium(VI) compounds.
Four hundred sixteen silver coins stemming from the Ottoman Empire (16th and 17th centuries) were analyzed in order to confirm the fineness of the coinage as well as to study the provenance of the alloy used for the coins. As most of the coins showed the typical green patina on their surfaces due to corrosion processes which have led to the depletion of copper in the near-surface domains of the silver coins in comparison to their core composition, small samples by cutting splinters from the coins had to be taken, embedded in synthetic resin and cross-sectioned in order to investigate the true-heart metal composition. The type of the alloy was investigated as well as if coins minted in different locations demonstrated homogeneous traits concerning the predominant impurities which could suggest a common ore. Several X-ray based techniques (µ-XRF, µ-SRXRF and µ-PIXE) could be applied in order to determine the silver contents as well as the minor and trace elements. Finally, SEM/EDX was applied in order to study the homogeneity/heterogeneity of the coins and the presence of surface enrichments. In general, the silver content of the analyzed specimen varies between 90% and 95%. These outcomes have not supported the historical interpretations, which predict that during the period studied a debasement of approximately 44% of the silver content of the coins should have occurred.
A core component of energy storage systems like vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) is the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM). In this work, the frequently used perfluorosulfonic-acid (PFSA) membrane Nafion™ 117 and a novel poly (vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF)-based Membrane are investigated. A well-known problem in VRFBs is the vanadium permeation through the membrane. The consequence of this so-called vanadium crossover is a severe loss of capacity. For a
better understanding of vanadium transport in membranes, the uptake of vanadium ions from electrolytes containing Vdimer(IV–V) and for comparison also V(II), V(III), V(IV), and V(V) by both membranes was studied. UV/VIS spectroscopy, X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (XANES), total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (TXRF), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and micro X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (microXRF) were used to determine the vanadium concentrations and the species inside the membrane. The results strongly support that Vdimer(IV–V), a dimer formed from V(IV) and V(V), enters the nanoscopic water-body of Nafion™ 117 as such. This is interesting, because as of now, only the individual ions V(IV) and V(V) were considered to be transported through the membrane. Additionally, it was found that the Vdimer(IV–V) dimer partly dissociates to the individual ions in the novel PVDF-based membrane.
The Vdimer(IV–V) dimer concentration in Nafion™ was determined and compared to those of the other species. After three days of equilibration time, the concentration of the dimer is the lowest compared to the monomeric vanadium species. The concentration of vanadium in terms of the relative uptake λ = n(V)/n(SO3
) are as follows: V(II) [λ = 0.155] > V(III) [λ = 0.137] > V(IV) [λ = 0.124] > V(V) [λ = 0.053] > Vdimer(IV–V) [λ = 0.039]. The results show that the Vdimer(IV–V) dimer Needs to be considered in addition to the other monomeric species to properly describe the transport of vanadium through Nafion™ in VRFBs.
This Report describes the certification of the reference material antimony implanted in Si/SiO2 intended to be used for calibration of surface and near surface analytical methods. It describes the preparation, homogeneity measurements and the analytical work performed for the certification of both Areal density of antimony Atoms (retained dose) and the isotope amount Ratio as well as giving considerations on the stability of the material.
Bundling analytical capacities to understand phase formation in recycling of functional materials
(2019)
Transitioning from combustion engine-driven transportation to e-mobility demands a paradigm shift – from a system geared to maximize energy efficiency (i.e. fuel consumption) to a system that may be constrained by the availability of high technology (critical) metals required for electrical energy storage systems and drives. In the wake of these developments efforts in securing new resources of these metals from recycling of end-of-life products are increasing steadily.
Recycling of Li-Ion batteries has recently been evaluated. The results pinpoint to a critical need for understanding slag Formation and its dependence on metal components like Mn under extreme conditions. This will allow researchers to predict optimal Operation setting and to react quickly to changing market demands (which may be Li or Co at one point but may also shift to Ni or rare earth elements (REE)). The long-term goal is to control the formation of specific phases in slags allowing for a Maximum yield of elements of interest and optimal recovery in the separation processes that follows. The combination of data on the physical micro structure and local chemistry of the multi-Phase products during and after processing will help to understand and derive thermodynamic and kinetic data on its formation.
In this paper we are giving an overview on the analytical challenges and approaches to provide robust data on local element concentration and species (especially Mn which is a common component of next generation Li-ion batteries cathodes), spanning the dimensions from the nanometer scale to the bulk material. The complementary interactions of X-rays and electrons make them ideal probes to collect Interface and “in-depth” information. Before- and -after studies as well as in situ structural changes and Phase (trans)formation, changes in elemental and elemental species (e.g. oxidation state) distribution may be tracked by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence microscopy and X-ray Absorption spectroscopy. The application of such advanced analytical tools will not only provide essential clues during early lab-based experiments towards the development of new recycling technologies, but may also be deployed for on-line and in-line monitoring of industrial processes.
In this talk an overview about artificial intelligence/machine learning applications @BAMline is given. In the first part, the use of neural networks for the quantification of XRF measurements and the decoding of coded-aperture measurements are shown. Then it is shown how Gaussian processes and Bayesian statistics can be used to achieve an optimal alignment of the set-up and in general for optimization of measurements.
Fingerprinting ancient gold work requires the use of nondestructive techniques with high spatial resolution (down to 25 µm) and good detection limits (micrograms per gram level). In this work experimental setups and protocols for synchrotron radiation induced X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) at the BAMline of the Berlin electron storage ring company for synchrotron radiation (BESSY) in Berlin for the measurement of characteristic trace elements of gold are compared considering the difficulties, shown in previous works, connected to the quantification of Pt. The best experimental conditions and calculation methods were achieved by using an excitation energy of 11.58 keV, a silicon drift chamber detector (SDD) detector, and pure element reference standards. A detection limit of 3 µg/g has been reached. This newly developed method was successfully applied to provenancing the Xiongnu gold from the Gol Mod necropolis, excavated under the aegis of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The composition of the base alloys and the presence of Pt and Sn showed that, contrary to what is expected, the gold foils from the first powerful empire of the steppes along the Great Wall were produced with alluvial gold from local placer deposits located in Zaamar, Boroo, and in the Selenga River.
With increasing demand and environmental concerns, researchers are exploring new materials that can perform as well or better than traditional materials while reducing environmental impact. The BAMline, a real-life sample materials research beamline, provides unique insights into materials’ electronic and chemical structure at different time and length scales. The beamline specializes in x-ray absorption spectroscopy, x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and tomography experiments. This enables real-time optimization of material properties and performance for various applications, such as energy transfer, energy storage, catalysis, and corrosion resistance. This paper gives an overview of the analytical methods and sample environments of the BAMline, which cover non-destructive testing experiments in materials science, chemistry, biology, medicine, and cultural heritage. We also present our own synthesis methods, processes, and equipment developed specifically for the BAMline, and we give examples of synthesized materials and their potential applications. Finally, this article discusses the future perspectives of the BAMline and its potential for further advances in sustainable materials research.
Synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, in conjunction with atomic absorption and Raman spectroscopy, was used to analyze a set of top brand tattoo inks to investigate the presence of toxic elements and hazardous substances. The Cr, Cu, and Pb contents were found to be above the maximum allowed levels established by the Council of Europe through the resolution ResAP(2008)1 on requirements and criteria for the safety of tattoos and permanent makeup. Raman analysis has revealed the presence of a set of prohibited substances mentioned in ResAP(2008)1, among which are the pigments Blue 15, Green 7, and Violet 23. Other pigments that were identified in white, black, red, and yellow inks are the Pigment White 6, Carbon Black, Pigment Red 8, and a diazo yellow, respectively. The present results show the importance of regulating tattoo ink composition.
Various applications for artificial intelligence in the context of spectroscopy will be presented. in particular, examples from bamline will be featured. After a short introduction to synchrotron radiation, artificial intelligence algorithms for the quantification of X-ray fluorescence measurement are discussed. In the second example, information retrieval by natural language processing is reviewed. As a last example the reconstruction of measurements with the X-ray color camera and coded apertures is presented.
Ein Konvolut einzelner Schmuckstücke und die Goldbeigaben eines angeblichen Grabfundes wurden technologisch und analytisch untersucht. Die meisten Objekte sind Blecharbeiten, die aus einer Vielzahl von Einzelteilen mit metallischem Goldlot zusammengefügt und mit Granulation oder granulations-imitierendem Perl- oder Kerbdraht verziert wurden. Nur vier kleine Ohrringe sind massiv gegossen.
Zwei Zierbleche dürften über Patrizen (Positivmodeln), die Deckel der Astragale in Matrizen (Negativmodeln) geformt worden sein. Alle Objekte wurden mit Synchrotron- und atmosphärischer Röntgenfluoreszenz analysiert. Die Daten zeigen das breite Spektrum an Goldlegierungen, die im 7./6. Jahrhundert v. Chr. in Kleinasien verarbeitet wurden: vom natürlichen Seifengold (Elektrum) bis zu geläutertem, fast reinem Gold. Eine Korrelation zwischen Goldqualität und Verarbeitungsmethode konnte nicht festgestellt werden. Sowohl hochreines als auch mit viel Silber und Kupfer legiertes Gold wurde zum Schmieden von Blecharbeiten, aber auch zum Massivguss verwendet. Aus der Goldfarbe kann wegen des Phänomens der oberflächlichen Goldanreicherung nicht auf eine Legierungszusammensetzung geschlossen werden. Der 1963 angekaufte Fundkomplex aus lydischen Metallarbeiten und ostionischen Salbgefäßen aus Ton dürfte einen Grabfund des frühen 6. Jahrhunderts v. Chr. darstellen, dessen Herkunft aus Ephesos jedoch nicht zu sichern ist.
The structure and composition of ancient gold objects retain information about their long history of manufacture, from the exploitation of the ore to the finishing touches, as well as evidence of their use, deposition, and degradation. By developing an efficient analytical strategy, it is possible to retrieve that information. This chapter sets the necessary foundation 131to explore fully the analytical results presented in the following chapters of this volume. The techniques employed in the analyses of the Egyptian jewellery are described and the analytical parameters provided. For more established techniques, only brief introductions are presented, while more recent developments are presented in greater detail.
Measuring in a non-destructive way the characteristic trace elements of the metal allows following the circulation of gold in the past. The aim of this work is to probe the possibilities of X-ray fluorescence with high energy synchrotron radiation (SR-XRF) at the BAMline at BESSY II to determine the concentration of Pt in ancient gold alloys. A HP-Ge detector was used to measure the Pt K-lines excited with an incident energy of 79.5 keV. Data processing was done by subtraction of a Pt free gold standard spectrum from the spectrum of the sample. Depending on the sample composition, the MDL ranges between 40 and 90 ppm. The first results obtained for a small set of gold alloys of different thickness, size and composition showed that high energy SR-XRF is a significant method for the non-destructive determination of Pt in gold.
Four hundred and sixteen silver coins stemming from the Ottoman Empire (16th and 17th centuries) were analyzed to confirm the fineness of the coinage as well as to study the provenance of the alloy used for the coins. As most of the coins showed the typical green patina on their surfaces due to corrosion processes that have led to the depletion of copper in the near surface domains of the silver coins in comparison to their core composition, small samples had to be taken, embedded in synthetic resin, and cross sectioned to investigate the true-heart metal composition. µ-synchrotron micro X-ray fluorescence analysis and µ-proton-induced X-ray emission were applied to determine the silver contents as well as the minor and trace elements. The type of the alloy was investigated as well as if coins minted in different locations demonstrated homogeneous traits concerning the predominant impurities (Au and Bi), which could suggest a common ore. Finally, energy-dispersive microanalysis in a scanning electron microscope was applied to study the homogeneity/heterogeneity of the coins and the presence of surface enrichments and to explain differences between the µ-synchrotron micro X-ray fluorescence analysis and µ-proton-induced X-ray emission measurements concerning the main component. In general, the silver content of the analyzed specimen varies between 90 and 95%. These outcomes have not supported the historical interpretations, which predict that during the period studied, a debasement of approximately 44% of the silver content of the coins should have occurred.
Pilot studies have been carried out at the BAMline at BESSY II in collaboration with the Bundesanstalt
für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) on metal- and metalloid-containing compounds in biological
samples after electrophoretic protein separation. After sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and transfer onto a blotting membrane the distribution of selenium among
the proteins of testis homogenate of a rat and a wallaby was determined. The comparison with the
autoradiogram of 75Se-labeled proteins separated in the same way showed that of nine seleniumcontaining
proteins found in rat testis homogenate by autoradiography four could be detected by
synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis (SRXRF).
Increasing numbers of implant revisions are a current clinical issue. Interactions of the endoprosthesis biomaterial with the body affect implantation time by wear processes, i.e. corrosion and abrasion. Previously, cobalt-chrome implants were shown to cause high levels of cobalt ions being deposited in the bone matrix. To determine a poten- tial functional role of these ions on bone homeostasis, we have developed a non-destructive dual analysis of highly sensitive elemental analysis by synchrotron XRF directly in undecalcified histological bone thin sections (4 μm). In this study, samples from 28 bone samples from hip endoprosthesis carriers (Surface Replacement Arthroplasty, metal-on-metal bearing) with an implant lifetime of 17–1750 days were used. Results were compared to age- matched control specimens. The histological analysis identified areas of bone cell activity and assigned them for XRF measurements. Co-Cr wear particles were identified in the bone marrow. In addition, Co ions were highly enriched in the mineralized bone matrix. The cobalt deposits were not homogeneously distributed, and areas of high signal intensity were identified. Co was distinctly deposited in the newly formed osteoid layer, but also within deeper layers of the bone matrix, whereby the Co concentration increased with higher degrees of bone matrix mineralization. In the current study, we determined cobalt accumulations in the bone matrix and showed for the first time via synchrotron XRF with a high spatial resolution direct on histological slides, that cobalt deposits in the mineralized bone matrix in a mineral-specific way that is dependent upon the implant lifetime.
Adaptive Kanalreduktion eines hyperspektralen Bilddatensatzes kombiniert mit k-mean Clustering
(2014)
Hydrogen analysis is of particular importance in thin film technology and it is often necessary to obtain a depth profile. The method with the best depth resolution is NRA using the 6385 keV resonance of the 1H(15N,αγ)12C nuclear reaction. The correct quantification of the depth and concentration scales in the measured hydrogen profiles relies on accurate stopping power values. We present a method to deduce these values from a combination of two techniques: NRA and X-ray reflectometry (XRR). This method is applied to the determination of the stopping power of ~6.4 MeV 15N ions in H-containing amorphous Si-layers (a-Si:H). Density-independent stopping powers at different H concentrations are determined by combining the results from NRA and XRR with an overall uncertainty of 3.3%, showing good agreement with SRIM values. This work shows exemplary the methodology for future evaluation of stopping powers for quality assurance in NRA.
The precise analysis of cation diffusion profiles through corrosion scales is an important aspect to evaluate corrosion phenomena under multicomponent chemical load, as during high‐temperature corrosion under deposits and salts. The present study shows a comprehensive analysis of cation diffusion profiles by electron microprobe analysis and microbeam X‐ray absorption near edge structure (µ‐XANES) spectroscopy in mixed oxide/sulfide scales grown on Fe–Cr model alloys after exposing them to 0.5% SO2. The results presented here correspond to depth‐dependent phase identification of oxides and sulfides in the corrosion scales by µ‐XANES and the description of oxidation‐state‐dependent diffusion profiles. Scales grown on low‐ and high‐alloyed materials show both a well‐pronounced diffusion profile with a high concentration of Fe3+ at the gas and a high concentration of Fe2+ at the alloy interface. The distribution of the cations within a close‐packed oxide lattice is strongly influencing the lattice diffusion phenomena due to their different oxidation states and therefore different crystal‐field preference energies. This issue is discussed based on the results obtained by µ‐XANES analysis.
This study intends to clarify the metal provenance of gold archaeological items using the variation of the Au–Ag ratio and the presence of trace elements as Sn, Sb, Te, and Pb, concentrating on gold Dacian Koson coins, recovered recently. It also extends the area of our investigations to the copper provenance of Bronze Age artifacts—axes, sickles, and celts—found on Romanian territory. The experiments were performed by micro-SR XRF at BESSY Berlin, at the BAM-line facility. Two types of coins (Koson, with and without monogram) were analysed. The conclusions we reached were that most of the monogram coins are made from refined gold (3–5% Ag, less than 0.5% Cu), while the without monogram coins are made from native Transylvanian gold (9–20% Ag, 0.5–2% Cu), of alluvial origin, proved by the presence of Sn, Sb and Te embedded in the gold. The problem of provenance for prehistoric Romanian copper and bronze objects consists in linking their elemental compositional patterns to the ones of the Bronze Age regional mines from Bulgaria, Serbia or Transylvania, most likely used as ore sources for their manufacture. The studied samples present relevant traces of As, Ag, Sb, and Co, suggesting the most probable use of copper from Serbia or northern Bulgaria for their manufacture.
An automatic sample changer chamber for total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) analysis in TXRF geometry was successfully set up at the BAMline at BESSY II. TXRF and TXRF-XANES are valuable tools for elemental determination and speciation, especially where sample amounts are limited (<1 mg) and concentrations are low (ng ml⁻¹ to μg ml⁻¹). TXRF requires a well defined geometry regarding the reflecting surface of a sample carrier and the synchrotron beam. The newly installed chamber allows for reliable sample positioning, remote sample changing and evacuation of the fluorescence beam path. The chamber was successfully used showing accurate determination of elemental amounts in the certified reference material NISTwater 1640. Low limits of detection of less than 100 fg absolute (10 pg ml⁻¹) for Ni were found. TXRF-XANES on different Re species was applied. An unknown species of Re was found to be Re in the +7 oxidation state.
We present a new high resolution X-ray imager based on a pnCCD detector and a polycapillary optics. The properties of the pnCCD like high quantum efficiency, high energy resolution and radiation hardness are maintained, while color corrected polycapillary lenses are used to direct the fluorescence photons from every spot on a sample to a corresponding pixel on the detector. The camera is sensitive to photons from 3 to 40 keV with still 30% quantum efficiency at 20 keV. The pnCCD is operated in split frame mode allowing a high frame rate of 400 Hz with an energy resolution of 152 eV for Mn Kα (5.9 keV) at 450 kcps. In single-photon counting mode (SPC), the time, energy and position of every fluorescence photon is recorded for every frame. A dedicated software enables the visualization of the elements distribution in real time without the need of post-processing the data. A description of the key components including detector, X-ray optics and camera is given. First experiments show the capability of the camera to perform fast full-field X-Ray Fluorescence (FF-XRF) for element analysis. The imaging performance with a magnifying optics (3×) has also been successfully tested.
In this work, a new setup for dispersive XAFS measurements is presented. This reproducible and scanningfree setup yields both time- and laterally-resolved XAFS experiments in a ‘single-shot’. It allows a straightforward adjustment for probing different elements covering many relevant applications in materials science. An incoming energetic broadband beam is diffracted by a Si (111) crystal after passing through the sample and collected by an area sensitive detector. Depending on the energy range of the incoming beam, XANES and/or EXAFS spectra can be recorded with a time resolution down to 1 s. The feasibility of this setup was demonstrated at the BAMline at BESSY II (Berlin, Germany) with reference Fe and Cu foils and the results are hereby presented and discussed. Additionally, an application where time resolution on the second scale is required is briefly evaluated. The presented example concerns studying early stages of zinc(II)2-methylimidazolate (ZIF-8) crystallization. This is particularly important for biomedical applications.
Recent results from a three-year multi-disciplinary project on Ancient Egyptian gold jewellery revealed that items of jewellery from the Middle Kingdom to the New Kingdom were manufactured using a variety of alluvial gold alloys. These alloys cover a wide range of colours and the majority contain Platinum Group Elements inclusions. However, in all the gold foils analysed, these inclusions were found to be absent. In this work a selection of gilded wood and leather items and gold foil fragments, all from the excavations by John Garstang at Abydos (primarily from Middle Kingdom graves), were examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Disperse Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-Ray Fluorescence (µXRF), Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (µPIXE) and Double Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (D²XRF). The work allowed us to characterise the composition of the base-alloys and also to reveal the presence of Pt at trace levels, confirming the use of alluvial gold deposits. Corrosion products were also investigated in the foils where surface tarnish was visually observed. Results showed that the differences in the colour of corrosion observed for the foils are related not only to the thickness of the corrosion layer but also to a multi-layer structure containing the various corrosion products.
Trace element concentrations in gold grains from various geological units in South Africa were measured in situ by field emission-electron probe microanalysis (FE-EPMA), laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and synchrotron micro X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (SR-µ-XRF). This study assesses the accuracy, precision and detection limits of these mostly non-destructive analytical methods using certified reference materials and discusses their application in natural sample measurement. FE-EPMA point analyses yielded reproducible and discernible concentrations for Au and trace concentrations of S, Cu, Ti, Hg, Fe and Ni, with detection limits well below the actual concentrations in the gold. LA-ICP-MS analyses required larger gold particles (> 60 µm) to avoid contamination during measurement. Elements that measured above detection limits included Ag, Cu, Ti, Fe, Pt, Pd, Mn, Cr, Ni, Sn, Hg, Pb, As and Te, which can be used for geochemical characterisation and gold fingerprinting. Although LA-ICP-MS measurements had lower detection limits, precision was lower than FE-EPMA and SR-µ-XRF. The higher variability in absolute values measured by LA-ICP-MS, possibly due to micro-inclusions, had to be critically assessed. Non-destructive point analyses of gold alloys by SR-µ-XRF revealed Ag, Fe, Cu, Ni, Pb, Ti, Sb, U, Cr, Co, As, Y and Zr in the various gold samples. Detection limits were mostly lower than those for elements measured by FE-EPMA, but higher than those for elements measured by LA-ICP-MS.