Role of Energy Dispersive XRF (ED-XRF) in Development of Rare Earth Element-2, International Certified Standard Reference Material: Ambiguities and Constraints

The REE-2 is a carbonatite sample with rare earth elements provided from a Canadian mining company and distributed by Canadian Certified Reference Materials (CCRM), Canada. The reference material was provided to participate in the testing process (round-robin) and CSIR-NGRI, Hyderabad, state of the art analytical technique Energy Dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) also contributed to the development of this (REE -2) reference material. In this paper, the efficacy of analytical protocol developed and comparing the results with twenty one industrial, commercial and government laboratories across globe in an inter-laboratory measurement program are presented. The CSIR-NGRI, EDXRF analytical facility contribution and steps to overcome during REE-2 development are briefly discussed. This contribution is to highlight the international analytical standards and protocols maintained at EDXRF laboratory vis-a-vis international laboratories.