SciAps X-555: Don't sweat the field work

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While soils regulations have been in play for decades, new developments in handheld technology are making a world of difference for in-field environmental analysis. The major pain points have been time, weight, and heat, says Tim Johnson, who manages SciAps business development for restricted substances and regulatory markets. “Generally, environmental assessments are performed in the summer months. Long wait times and heavy instruments make the work harder than it needs to be,” he says. SciAps X-555 sets a new performance standard for handheld XRF. It weighs under 3 lbs. with battery, and it packs the industry’s most powerful X-ray tube for the best limits of detection on the EPA’s critical contaminants—especially for cadmium, silver, tin, antimony and barium, where the 55kV X-ray tube delivers the most benefit. When combined with the new Z-901 Beryllium, the world's lightest, fastest LIBS (laser) analyzer, this method provides all 13 EPA Priority Pollutant Metals. Operators can upgrade the Z-901 to measure lithium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, fluorine, and sodium in their tests, too.

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Test faster

If your XRF is using either a 45 or 50kV tube, the detection limits are from 2-30 ppm, depending on the elements. Given the correlation between LOD (detection) and LOQ (quantification), this means that for a 2 ppm LOD, the LOQ is around 6-7 ppm. This will take upwards of three minutes per sample, which can mean a long, hot day. The SciAps X-555 cuts this data collection time in half. And the 55 kV X-ray tube allows for extra low detection limits and precision on key elements like Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb and Ba, making it especially well-suited for RCRA applications and EPA Method 6200. Up to three automated beam settings are designed for optimal performance across the entire periodic table from Mg to U. It’s great for other critical environmental metals: As, Cr, Co, Cu, Pb, Hg, Ni, Se, Tl and more.

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Carry less

If your XRF analyzer weighs more than 4 lbs., then you are carrying around heavier equipment than you need to be. SciAps X-555 weighs 2.98 lbs. with the battery. It’s the lightest handheld analyzer on the market, in a rugged aerospace-grade aluminum body for maximum durability.

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Test non-stop

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The X-500 Series kickstand is a lightweight accessory that holds the instrument in position during in situ analyses. The operator can set it in position, start the analysis, and go do other tasks while the data is collected.[/caption]If you have to find some shade and wait for the instrument to cool off before continuing to collect data, then you are wasting time on the job and probably becoming grumpy. Many older (and even "newer")  handheld analyzers are using outdated, or just poor, hardware designs that cannot properly dissipate heat, which leads to instrument failure in warm temperatures. The X-555 uses the latest software, materials and engineering for improved performance in high ambient temperatures and outstanding heat dissipation.

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Customize for your job

“The X-555 doesn’t make compromises. It doesn’t compromise size for stability or heat dissipation. It doesn’t compromise speed for detection limits. Users are not limited to the analytical formulas programmed into the instrument, but instead can make their own empirical calibration curves if they so choose,” Johnson says. Optional Profile Builder software for laptop, tablet or PC will, in essence, double your instrumentation with powerful benchtop functionality.

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No-risk rentals

If you are not ready to make a major purchase or to update your instruments, Pine Environmental supports daily, weekly and monthly SciAps XRF and LIBS rentals anywhere in the United States. “Success is all about having the best tool for the job, and at SciAps, we want our customers to be successful,” says Don Sackett, CEO and co-founder of SciAps, Inc. “We see technology advancement, service, and options as a commitment to our customers. We always have our customers’ needs in mind and are going to get them the tools to succeed.”

Get optimal performance at a fraction of the cost of laboratory testing, all in One Box. SciAps complete, portable method measures all 8 RCRA and all 13 Priority Pollutant Metals, and more. SciAps X-555 sets a new performance standard for handheld XRF. For operators that require beryllium in their analysis of EPA Priority Pollutant Metals, SciAps offers a handheld LIBS analyzer, the Z-901 Beryllium. While portable XRF cannot measure elements lighter than magnesium in the field, LIBS technology (laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy) excels at Be measurement. In fact, the SciAps Z Series excels at all ultra-light elements, even hydrogen. The pair run on the same Android platform, with the same accessories, like batteries, cables and chargers. They feature the latest engineering and global connectivity for full-featured report generation and available cloud data merging and management.

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