Boron analysis by electron microprobe using MoB4C layered synthetic crystals

Preliminary electron microprobe studies of B distribution in minerals have been carried out using MoB4C-layered synthetic crystals to improve analytical sensitivity for B. Any microprobe measurements of the B contents of minerals using this crystal must include analyses for Cl to assess and correct for the interference of Cl X-rays on the BK?? peak. Microprobe analyses for B can be made routinely in tourmaline and other B-rich minerals, and minor B contents also can be determined in common rock-forming minerals. Incorporation of unusually high B contents in minerals other than borosilicates has been discovered in prograde and retrograde minerals in tourmalinites from the Broken Hill district, Australia, and may reflect high B activities produced during the metamorphism of tourmaline-rich rocks. -from Authors