Modular MA-XRF scanner potentialities and further advances

In Heritage Science applications, in-situ and non-destructive analyses are commonly preferred. The valuable nature of historical objects often hinders the possibility of either sample or transport them into laboratories. Macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) has become widespread in the archaeometry field, due to its non-destructive and non-invasive characteristics and especially to the amount of information provided by the technique. Unfortunately, most of the instruments are either fixed or mobile, hindering their in-situ applications. Moreover, most of the mobile instrumentation are bulky and require some logistics for transportation. In this scope, a modular instrument has been developed. The scanner, which requires no more than one person to transport and assemble, has been tested and compared under compatible circumstances to state-of-the-art instrumentation. Preliminary results are presented and discussed.