Abstract: An efficient X-ray radiographic method for recognition of materials of inspected objects and a corresponding device with improved functional possibilities are proposed, ensuring direct determination of the effective atomic number Zeff of the material, its density and thickness, as well as chemical composition. In customs inspection this should ensure practically unambiguous identification of explosives and drugs, and in medical tomography—early diagnostics of cancer tumors, osteoporosis, atherosclerosis and other dangerous and widespread diseases. The method includes X-raying of the inspected objects and recording of the transmitted radiation in several different spectral ranges with different effective energy by multi-element radiation receivers.