Quantitative determination of cadmium in polyethylene using total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectroscopy

A new application of total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectroscopy was tested for its use in the quantitative determination of element mass fractions (Z greater than or equal to 12) in solid polyethylene samples. The experiments were conducted with four polyethylene reference materials from the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) with cadmium mass fractions in the range from 40 to 400 mg/kg (VDA 001-004). Samples from each reference material were transferred as thin films straight onto quartz glass discs commonly used for TXRF analysis. Precision, accuracy and capability of the method are discussed on the basis of the current results and recent experiences with real samples. The method appears to be suitable for tasks in forensic science and polymer analysis.