Heterogeneous Example: Galvanized Steel
In this example of XRF on a plated material, an intact piece of galvanized steel analyzes as mostly zinc with a smaller amount of iron. Even though a typical galvanized steel object is mostly iron, it will analyze as mostly zinc, owing to the concentration of the latter element on the surface.
After the coating has been partially removed using an abrasive, the iron interior appears as the major component.Although the forte of XRF is its ability to do non-destructive analysis, it can also be used destructively whenever possible, to gain insights on the composition and fabrication of objects.
