Applications of surface adaptive micro X-ray fluorescence scanner in cultural relics

Micro X-ray fluorescence (μXRF) can obtain the elemental distribution in the surfaces of cultural relics and provide valuable information for archaeologists. We developed a surface adaptive μXRF scanner enabling large-area elemental imaging on cultural relics with arbitrary irregular surfaces, overcoming limitations of existing systems constrained by object shape and size. We conducted μXRF scanning on an enamel cylinder covered with paper, a fallen painting from ancient architecture and an unearthed gnomon shadow template, generating the corresponding elemental distribution images. Using the surface adaptive μXRF scanner, we successfully conducted large-area μXRF scanning of cultural relics with irregular surfaces, obtaining detailed elemental distribution images. With the method we proposed, archaeologists will be able to perform large-area XRF scanning imaging on relics with irregular surfaces, rather than being limited to flat-surface scans. This innovation significantly extends the application scope of μXRF for large-area scanning and is poised to achieve more breakthroughs in archaeology.