High speed materials sorting using x-ray fluorescence

Abstract

A system and process for classifying a piece of material of unknown composition at high speeds, where the system connected to a power supply. The piece is irradiated with first x-rays from an x-ray source, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays. The fluoresced x-rays are detected with an x-ray detector, and the piece of material is classified from the detected fluoresced x-rays. Detecting and classifying may be cumulatively performed in less than one second. An x-ray fluorescence spectrum of the piece of material may be determined from the detected fluoresced x-rays, and the detection of the fluoresced x-rays may be conditioned such that accurate determination of the x-ray fluorescence spectrum is not significantly compromised, slowed or complicated by extraneous x-rays. The piece of material may be classified by recognizing the spectral pattern of the determined x-ray fluorescence spectrum. The piece of material may be flattened prior to irradiation and detection. The x-ray source may irradiate the first x-rays at a high intensity, and the x-ray source may be an x-ray tube.

1 . A high-speed process for classifying a piece of material of unknown composition, the process comprising acts of: 
 irradiating the piece with x-rays from an x-ray source, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays;    detecting the fluoresced x-rays with an x-ray detector;    determining an x-ray fluorescence spectrum of the piece of material from the detected fluoresced x-rays, wherein the detected x-ray fluorescence spectrum has a spectral pattern;    recognizing the spectral pattern of the determined x-ray fluorescence spectrum; and    classifying the piece based on the recognition of the spectral pattern,    wherein the acts of detecting, determining, recognizing and classifying are cumulatively performed in less than one second.