Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., on Dec. 26 announced it published three new application bulletins focusing on the precision and accuracy of its third generation of NITON handheld XRF analyzers for scrap metal recycling, positive material identification and metal fabrication and manufacturing applications. Thermo Fisher Scientific is a world leader manufacturer of handheld x-ray fluorescence (XRF) alloy analysis instrumentation.

The Thermo Scientific NITON XL3 800 Series provides fast alloy grade identification as well as the quickest laboratory-quality composition analysis of metal alloys that ever have been performed with a handheld XRF analyzer. Typical time for routine positive grade identification is less than 2 seconds as much as four times faster than our previous generation of award-winning instruments, increasing sample throughput and user productivity.

The NITON XL3t 800 features a 50 kilovolt, 2-watt x-ray tube, the highest powered x-ray tube ever offered in a handheld XRF analyzer, as well as advanced electronics that enable a host of new features directly benefiting the customer. Elevated base metal prices, combined with globalized trade in scrap metal, alloy stock and finished products have increased the costs of alloy mix-ups to suppliers, distributors and industrial consumers.

The NITON XL3 800 Series is available in a range of configurations and with an assortment of optional features and accessories to suit a wide variety of analytical needs. Some of the benefits in specific applications include:

• Scrap Recycling: The XL3's increased testing speed, along with the tilting color display enable the user to increase sorting volume as much as tenfold as compared to earlier technology
• Faster testing speed means more measurements per day, increasing the metal sorter's productivity. With the waterproof, dustproof construction and rugged Lexan EXL housing, the NITON XL3 800 Series was built for scrapyard use.
• Positive Material Identification (PMI) programs: Increased productivity and powerful documentation and reporting tools make NITON XL3 800 Series analyzers essential tools for today s PMI inspector, with a 75 percent reduction in measurement times for difficult to separate alloys such as SS304/321 and P9/P91 as compared to previous generation XRF analyzers. Accessories and options include: thermal shields for in-service testing, extension handles for hard-to-reach areas, switchable small-spot collimation to focus on small areas such as welds, a light element analysis option to quantify Mg, Al, Si, and P and many more features and accessories designed to let inspectors quickly and easily complete the most demanding PMI task.
• Metal Fabrication and Manufacturing: The NITON XL3 800 Series provides fast verification of incoming materials, and since the XRF analysis is nondestructive it can be used to perform final QC and to document the material composition of finished product.

The NITON XL3 800 can also be used to recover lost material traceability, allowing these materials to be used and converted to profit rather than being scrapped.