The Periodic Table – Measured with a Handheld

Measure virtually every element, in almost any material, with a handheld analyzer. That’s the power of the SciAps Z handheld LIBS system.

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an established laboratory technique for elemental analysis that SciAps has succeeded in miniaturizing. The LIBS device fires a pulsed laser at a material. The resulting energy generates a high enough instantaneous power density to vaporize most materials into a plasma. As the plasma cools, free electrons recombine with atoms, producing UV/VIS/IR light that is collected and analyzed by an on-board spectrometer. The spectrometer ranges from 190 nm – 950 nm, which suffices to measure emissions from every element H (Z=1) to U (Z=92).The Z possesses many of the powerful analytical tools found in benchtop LIBS devices. The spectra may be variably gated to reduce the thermal background emissions, or to preferentially measure longer or shorter-lived emissions. The device is equipped with an internal, user-replaceable argon purge canister. Operating in an argon purge environment produces 10x or more signal strength compared to air operation. The analyzer features a 3D raster function, allowing the operator to test and average multiple locations on a material and to adjust the focal spot of the laser.The complete benchtop software package provides the users with the ability to choose elements and lines, create intensity ratios, and produce their own calibration curves. The Z is, therefore, both a pre-calibrated “point and shoot” device and a sophisticated, customizable analytical tool for use anywhere in the world.Recent application successes:

● Carbon in stainless steels and CE in steels

● Carbon in soils for TOC content

● Nitrogen content in food and plant materials, and soil analysis for N, P and K

● Lithium content in ores and brines or recycled materials for batteries

● Beryllium in soils and wipes for cleanup operations

● Boron in glass and metals

● Fluorine in volcanic rocks and mineralsSciAps, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of handheld XRF and LIBS analyzers for every industry. Their newest family of XRF analyzers, the X-550 and X-505, are the smallest, lightest weight and fastest XRF analyzers ever made. Learn more at www.sciaps.com.