Combined use of electron microprobe analysis and nuclear microanalysis for Mg, Al and Si determination in minerals and glasses

Abstract Electron microprobe analysis (EMA) and nuclear microprobe analysis (NMA) using the nuclear microprobe facilities of Bruyeres-le-Châtel (France), have been performed to determine Mg, Al and Si in minerals and glasses. Despite their difference in interaction type and in analysed volume, we obtain a good agreement between EMA and NMA data. Using a 3.3 MeV proton microbeam we have a simultaneous quantitative analysis with : 585 keV gamma from 25 Mg(p, p′γ); 1013 keV gamma from Al(p, p′γ); 1778 keV gamma from 28 Si(p, p′γ).