A number of procedures for fluorescent X-ray analysis have been introduced to accommodate the samples that are produced from research on the recovery of values from secondary metal sources. For some applications, standards are conveniently available such as those that can be purchased from the National Bureau of Standards. For other applications, secondary standards must be prepared and analyzed by independent methods. The sample preparation procedures vary considerably. For monitoring process efficiency, sample preparation is often kept at a minimum such as simply pouring loose powders into disposable cups. For the most accurate analyses, sample preparatton requires casting the alloys and finishing the surfaces. Matrix correction procedures are employed where concentrations of major constituents vary over wide ranges.