The wide range of EDXRF spectrometers from SPECTRO Analytical Instruments and EDAX, member companies of AMETEK Inc.‘s Materials Analysis Division, provide solutions to many elemental analysis tasks in forensic investigation and archaeometry. Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry is a versatile analytical technique that can satisfy both of these needs: it is non-destructive, requires very little sample preparation and can be configured to handle any sample size from a large surface to a few microns. Archaeometry, the application of scientific methods to archaeology, has very similar requirements. Variation in sample type and size may be almost infinite: from a soil sample to a bullet to a microscopic speck of gunshot residue or fragment of glass. The object itself may, however, need to be presented as evidence, so any technique used for this analysis should ideally be non-destructive. ![]() Elemental analysis of an object found in the course of an investigation can yield valuable clues to its origin and history. Many branches of science are employed in accumulating forensic evidence, from highly publicized techniques like DNA profiling to pathology, botany and of course chemical analysis. Scientific evidence plays a vital role in today’s justice system: many high profile criminal investigations reach their conclusions almost entirely on this evidence.
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