Whether it's mining, pharmaceuticals, polymers, plastics or a different industry, generating accurate, reliable information from elemental analysis is critical. However, given the variety of samples that present for elemental analysis—in addition to day-to-day challenges like sustainability, efficiency and bench space—finding the ideal instrument can be difficult.
In ambitious laboratories, elemental analysis instruments often struggle to keep up with demand. Sample methods require extensive training and sometimes long sample preparation times, delaying reported results. Slow feedback loops create a dilemma between data that is still usable and data that is detailed enough. Additionally, elemental analyzers that are difficult or non-intuitive negatively affect uptime and can also lead to human error. Ultimately, this forces laboratories to choose between speed and highly accurate data—a conundrum no laboratory manager wants to deal with.
For many labs with elemental analysis needs, floor-standing wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectrometers are go-to instruments. However, these instruments are both large and costly to purchase and operate.
When it comes to elemental analysis, lab managers and purchasers need to strike the right balance between powerful analysis, seamless operation and low cost of ownership.
Performance without compromise
Malvern Panalytical’s new Revontium compact XRF analyzer bridges the performance of floor-standing XRF and inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP) instruments, and the advantages of table-top instruments. Compact XRF brings a smaller physical and environmental footprint, and a cost of ownership that can be more than 25% lower thanks to a reduced need for consumables, extensive sample preparation and maintenance.
Unlike with ICP, there’s less need for consumables such as acids and high-purity gases, and less maintenance required. Revontium also doesn’t require the daily calibration that ICP does, making it more available for analysis. Revontium can run in air, which isn’t possible for all WDXRF instruments. And, unlike with high-powered WDXRF instruments, there are no chiller costs thanks to internal cooling. Revontium also does not require any special infrastructure.
Revontium contributes to sustainability efforts with a power consumption of only 200 watts, compared with 2,000 W for traditional WDXRF. Since it works on air as standard, there’s no need for helium gas or a vacuum oil pump—further improving energy efficiency.
At only 0.4 m2, the compact XRF is designed to enable high sample throughput, speedy analysis and a fast feedback loop. It can detect up to 6 million photons per second. A robotic arm on the sample changer loads and unloads samples to facilitate unattended batch measurements. Revontium includes four simultaneous detectors that decrease measuring time and improve sensitivity by a factor of three.
The Revontium is flexible enough to allow the analysis of both solids and liquids in the same batch of samples. Its non-destructive nature allows researchers to use the same sample after XRF for further analysis with complementary methods like ICP, AAS, or XRD.
Big buttons and an intuitive overview displayed on a 15” touchscreen make operation smooth and seamless. Researchers can create as many applications as needed by themselves with built-in software. Users can easly operate the Revontium after a short training of only 30 minutes.
Ultimately, the Revontium combines powerful analysis, seamless operation and low cost of ownership with high-quality, accurate elemental data that can be generated easily, rapidly and sustainably.