Mini Review: Handbook of Mineral Spectroscopy 1st Edition (Volume 1: X-ray Photoelectron Spectra)

Elsevier has recently published the Handbook of Mineral Spectroscopy, Volume 1: X-ray Photoelectron Spectra which presents a database of XPS spectra for minerals by reknowned mineralogists J. Theo Kloprogge and Barry Wood.

The book itself is presented with an introduction to XPS and its physcial basis, together with example of how the samples were prepared for analysis

The book is full colour and presents both survey and high-resolution spectra of over 200 rock-forming and major ores. The data is presented well, with dicussion on contaminant elements and the issues of calibration with highly contaminated materials. The first results section is entitled Elements, although these materials are presented ‘as extracted’ and not sputter cleaned/annealed elements as can be seen in many spectra – for example, the spectrum for Pt contains a signficant contribution from Fe which has not been quantified. As such care should be taken for novices interpreting such spectra and may not be reflective of the pure element.

A number of spectra would be improved by better fitting and background selection – many spectra show a peak envelope outside the raw data for example. As alluded to earlier, the spectra could also be improved by in-situ cleaning, be it through annelaing or argon cluster cleaning (in defence of the authors, this was not available on their system).

Despite some potential shortfalls in analysis, this book is a useful companion to XPS laboratories and is wholy recommended for all surface analysts, geoscientisits, mineralogists and material scientists as a visual reference. However this volume could be improved by the availability of the VAMAS data for the materials availbale as a digital download.