Study on Using EDXRF for the Determination of Gold Coating Thickness

Abstract:

The paper presents a study on the development of an analysis procedure for determining of gold coating thickness using the EDXRF technique. Gold coating thickness was measured by relating the counts under the Au Lα peak to its thickness value. In order to get a reasonably accurate result, a calibration graph was plotted using five gold-coated reference standards of different thicknesses. The calibration graph shows a straight line for thin coating measurement until 0.9μm. Beyond this point, the relationship was exponential and this may be resulted from the self-absorption effect. Quantitative analysis was then performed on three different samples namely two gold-coated jewelry samples and a phone connector sample. Result from the phone connector analysis seems to agree with the manufacturer’s gold coating value. Results from the analysis of gold-coated jewelry enable to differentiate the two articles as coated by using the gold wash and gold electroplated coating methods.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volume 974)
• Pages: 225-229
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.974.225
• Online since: June 2014
• Authors: Meor Yusoff Meor Sulaiman*, Masliana Muslimin
• Keywords: Coating Thickness, EDXRF, Electroplated, Gold, Gold Wash

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