Selective quick standards?

[dawncruth]

Do  y'all know if it is possible to do quick standards on some standards, but not on others? If it isn't possible, I think that would be a nice feature.

[John Donovan]

Do  y'all know if it is possible to do quick standards on some standards, but not on others? If it isn't possible, I think that would be a nice feature.

I'm trying to think if there's a way and I don't think so. 

The only options for quick standards:

1. It acquires only the elements that are assigned as primary, interference or MAN standards to that standard and if no elements are assigned to that standard, all the elements are acquired.

or

2. It acquires the above option, *and* any elements above N wt% as shown here:

[dawncruth]

Do  y'all know if it is possible to do quick standards on some standards, but not on others? If it isn't possible, I think that would be a nice feature.

I'm trying to think if there's a way and I don't think so. 

The only options for quick standards:

1. It acquires only the elements that are assigned as primary, interference or MAN standards to that standard and if no elements are assigned to that standard, all the elements are acquired.

or

2. It acquires the above option, *and* any elements above N wt% as shown here:

Yes, I've seen it and usually use option 2.
I guess my confusion comes with interference standards. For example, I'm measuring Sr in plag and need to correct for Si interference. So I collect SiO2 as the interference standard against Strontianite. My understanding is that if I use quick standards, option 2, it will only measure the elements in SiO2 (Si) but not Sr because it hasn't been included in the standard comp. Is this understanding incorrect?
If my understanding is correct, then for interference corrections I should be using a regular standard setup where everything is measured.

[John Donovan]

I guess my confusion comes with interference standards. For example, I'm measuring Sr in plag and need to correct for Si interference. So I collect SiO2 as the interference standard against Strontianite. My understanding is that if I use quick standards, option 2, it will only measure the elements in SiO2 (Si) but not Sr because it hasn't been included in the standard comp. Is this understanding incorrect?
If my understanding is correct, then for interference corrections I should be using a regular standard setup where everything is measured.

No, the elements utilized in the quick standard acquisition are based on the elements in the unknown sample setup.  So if you are measuring Si and Sr, then it will measure both Si and Sr in the SiO2.... BUT there's a caveat!

Remember, the quick standards feature only measures elements standards which have been assigned as primary, interference or MAN standards!

So if you haven't made your interference (or MAN) assignments yet, then it won't acquire those elements.  Because of this "feature", one should not use the quick standard acquisition option in a new run, and instead acquire all the elements in all the standards.  Because how else will you know if you are seeing an interference unless you are measuring elements that *should* be zero concentrations?

Of course there's an exception!     That is, if you are loading in a file setup from a previous run where all the interference (and MAN) assignments have already been assigned, then it's OK to just go ahead and use the quick standard acquisition feature right off the bat.

[dawncruth]

I guess my confusion comes with interference standards. For example, I'm measuring Sr in plag and need to correct for Si interference. So I collect SiO2 as the interference standard against Strontianite. My understanding is that if I use quick standards, option 2, it will only measure the elements in SiO2 (Si) but not Sr because it hasn't been included in the standard comp. Is this understanding incorrect?
If my understanding is correct, then for interference corrections I should be using a regular standard setup where everything is measured.

No, the elements utilized in the quick standard acquisition are based on the elements in the unknown sample setup.  So if you are measuring Si and Sr, then it will measure both Si and Sr in the SiO2.... BUT there's a caveat!

Remember, the quick standards feature only measures elements standards which have been assigned as primary, interference or MAN standards!

So if you haven't made your interference (or MAN) assignments yet, then it won't acquire those elements.  Because of this "feature", one should not use the quick standard acquisition option in a new run, and instead acquire all the elements in all the standards.  Because how else will you know if you are seeing an interference unless you are measuring elements that *should* be zero concentrations?

Of course there's an exception!     That is, if you are loading in a file setup from a previous run where all the interference (and MAN) assignments have already been assigned, then it's OK to just go ahead and use the quick standard acquisition feature right off the bat.

Ok, I think I understand it better, thanks!

[dawncruth]

Hi all,
I am a huge fan of quick standards. I set up for > 4 wt%, which works well for us. However, I've noticed that quick standards sometimes will measure an element that is < 4 wt%, and not measure an element that > 4 wt%. For example, in the attached file I show a quick standard run on Kakanui Pyrope. It is measuring Si, Al, Mg, Fe, and Ti, but not Ca.  I've double checked my standards database and that is all in order. Any thoughts?

[John Donovan]

Hi all,
I am a huge fan of quick standards. I set up for > 4 wt%, which works well for us. However, I've noticed that quick standards sometimes will measure an element that is < 4 wt%, and not measure an element that > 4 wt%. For example, in the attached file I show a quick standard run on Kakanui Pyrope. It is measuring Si, Al, Mg, Fe, and Ti, but not Ca.  I've double checked my standards database and that is all in order. Any thoughts?

The quick standard concentration limit is based on the elemental weight % in the standard, not the oxide weight %. 

Just decrease it to 3 as shown in the image below and it will acquire the Ca also.



We will modify the "tool tip" popup help to clarify this in the next release of Probe for EPMA.

[dawncruth]

Hi all,
I am a huge fan of quick standards. I set up for > 4 wt%, which works well for us. However, I've noticed that quick standards sometimes will measure an element that is < 4 wt%, and not measure an element that > 4 wt%. For example, in the attached file I show a quick standard run on Kakanui Pyrope. It is measuring Si, Al, Mg, Fe, and Ti, but not Ca.  I've double checked my standards database and that is all in order. Any thoughts?

The quick standard concentration limit is based on the elemental weight % in the standard, not the oxide weight %. 

Just decrease it to 3 as shown in the image below and it will acquire the Ca also.



We will modify the "tool tip" popup help to clarify this in the next release of Probe for EPMA.

Thanks for the clarification. But why would Ti be measured in my example then? It is was less than 1 wt% TiO2

[John Donovan]

Thanks for the clarification. But why would Ti be measured in my example then? It is was less than 1 wt% TiO2

Was Ti in that standard assigned as a primary standard or interference standard?

Of course this standard would make a terrible primary standard for Ti, and similarly it would make a terrible interference standard for say Ti interfering with V Ka, for the reasons discussed in this post:

https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=610.msg11833#msg11833

so I'm sure that's not what is going on. 

However, please note that if the standard has *no* elements assigned for use as primary, interference or MAN standards, it will measure *all* the elements in that standard. Well, all the elements being analyzed currently that is.

The idea being then that since this is a "pure" secondary standard, all elements will get measured.  This feature is documented (I think) in the PFE user reference manual.

[dawncruth]

Was Ti in that standard assigned as a primary standard or interference standard?

No and no

Weirdly, when I changed the cutoff value to 3, the Ti went away.

However, please note that if the standard has *no* elements assigned for use as primary, interference or MAN standards, it will measure *all* the elements in that standard. Well, all the elements being analyzed currently that is.

The idea being then that since this is a "pure" secondary standard, all elements will get measured.  This feature is documented (I think) in the PFE user reference manual.

Interesting. I thought quick standards was applied to all standards, regardless of designation (primary, interference, MAN).  In this case (Kakanui Pyrope), I don't always assign it as a primary standard. I also don't use it as a MAN or interference standard. Yet the quick standards setup works.

[John Donovan]

Was Ti in that standard assigned as a primary standard or interference standard?

No and no

Weirdly, when I changed the cutoff value to 3, the Ti went away.

However, please note that if the standard has *no* elements assigned for use as primary, interference or MAN standards, it will measure *all* the elements in that standard. Well, all the elements being analyzed currently that is.

The idea being then that since this is a "pure" secondary standard, all elements will get measured.  This feature is documented (I think) in the PFE user reference manual.

Interesting. I thought quick standards was applied to all standards, regardless of designation (primary, interference, MAN).  In this case (Kakanui Pyrope), I don't always assign it as a primary standard. I also don't use it as a MAN or interference standard. Yet the quick standards setup works.

First, the minimum wt% is based on the elemental concentration, not oxide.

Quick standards are based on the primary, interference and MAN assignments.  That is, only elements that are assigned are measured. Unless the standard is not as assigned as a primary, interference or MAN standard, in which case all the elements are measured.  The "assigned or major/minor" minimum quick standard option just means that elements above that level are also measured (in addition to the assigned elements) in that standard.

Though personally I think that measuring zero concentrations in secondary standards is a very useful thing for checking our ability to measure zero and also of course seeing if there's an interference we didn't know about in the first place.