Development of an Automated Phase Analysis Procedure for Multi-Component Samples in EPMA

EPMA systems, with their high analytical accuracy, are ideal for the identification of intermetallic compounds, minerals, and other phases. In the past, phases were differentiated using a scatter diagram analysis on elemental map data. An intermetallic compound or a mineral can be recognizable as a cluster of compositional data points in the corresponding scatter diagram. The phase analysis program, previously used by EPMA, produced a phase map by plotting each pixel on the map, using a specific color for each cluster.