A system and process for classifying a piece of material of unknown composition
at high speeds, where the system connected to a power supply. The piece is irradiated
with first x-rays from an x-ray source, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays.
The fluoresced x-rays are detected with an x-ray detector, and the piece of material
is classified from the detected fluoresced x-rays. Detecting and classifying may
be cumulatively performed in less than one second. An x-ray fluorescence spectrum
of the piece of material may be determined from the detected fluoresced x-rays,
and the detection of the fluoresced x-rays may be conditioned such that accurate
determination of the x-ray fluorescence spectrum is not significantly compromised,
slowed or complicated by extraneous x-rays. The piece of material may be classified
by recognizing the spectral pattern of the determined x-ray fluorescence spectrum.
The piece of material may be flattened prior to irradiation and detection. The
x-ray source may irradiate the first x-rays at a high intensity, and the x-ray
source may be an x-ray tube.
