A shield for reducing the thermal signal from heating holders during in situ energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis

: This article describes a simple shield that can be placed on typical commercial heating holders to reduce the thermal signal during heating to reasonable levels for in situ energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. The improved temperature capability provided by the shield is demonstrated by initial compositional analysis results obtained across a solid-liquid interface on Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloy powder particles. Considerations in the design of and improvement for the shield are discussed.