10 Lightweight Handheld FTIR for Dedicated Field Applications
A2 Technologies has announced the availability of its newest portable FTIR system, Flexscan. Flexscan is a superior performing, mid IR spectrometer that fits in the palm of one's hand. A2 Technologies now offers two hand-held FTIR systems, Flexscan, for dedicated field analyses, and Exoscan, for lab and field use. Flexscan is ideal for dedicated applications that require the use of FTIR spectroscopy in out-of-lab settings. Since Flexscan's hand-held optics weigh approximately 3 pounds, its lightweight and extremely compact size is perfect for applications that require repetitive analyses on large surfaces, or in locations that are physically restricted. Flexscan is offered with a variety of sampling interfaces including diffuse, grazing angle, ATR and specular reflectance. Thus a broad range of materials can be analyzed including polished or roughened metals, polymers, composites, plastics and most other solids. Scientists and engineers involved in applications including analysis of composites and metals used in aircraft and marine vessels, analysis of minerals or soils, surface coating analysis, analysis of contamination, corrosion or oxidation of surfaces, and in a wide range of research or troubleshooting applications, will find the Flexscan a powerful ally.
Flexscan consists of two parts: an optics module that contains the source, interferometer and detector all optimally coupled with sampling optics; and a power module that contains battery and electronics. The latter module is available either belt-mounted or held by a shoulder strap. The performance of Flexscan rivals or exceeds that of far larger, traditional analytical bench top FTIR spectrometers. This is a result of a patented modulator that has extremely short internal pathlength while retaining a large optical aperture. An important benefit of this design is that the spectrometer is very rugged, making it ideal for out-of-lab use. Graham Miller, President of A2 Technologies, commented: "With Exoscan and our other portable FTIR analysers, we proved that there is a strong requirement to take FTIR out of the laboratory. Furthermore, our customers showed us that there is a glaring need for a dedicated hand-held system with the performance of Exoscan and a form factor and weight conducive to analyses that require multiple measurements over a large area or surface, as well as for measurements in hard to access locations. Thus, we developed Flexscan."
Circle no. 323 Breakthrough Nanoscale Infrared Spectroscopy Technology
PITTCON NEWS
Anasys Instruments is pleased to introduce its highly innovative nanoIR™ platform, a powerful new measurement tool that reveals the chemical composition of samples at the nanoscale.
“The goal of nanoIR technology is to overcome major barriers in AFM and conventional IR spectroscopy,” explained Dr Craig Prater, Anasys Instruments’ Chief Technology Officer. “AFM has outstanding resolution, but no ability to perform chemical spectroscopy. IR spectroscopy is a benchmark tool for chemical characterisation, but lacks spatial resolution to address nanoscale problems. Anasys has focused on bridging these gaps.”
Anasys Instruments Co-Founder and Vice President of Product Development Kevin Kjoller, added: “In addition to revealing chemical composition, the nanoIR system provides high-resolution characterisation of local topographic, mechanical, and thermal properties.”
The nanoIR system combines the nanoscale spatial resolution capabilities of atomic force microscopy (AFM) with infrared spectroscopy’s ability to characterise and identify chemical species. Users of nanoIR technology can quickly survey regions of a sample via AFM and then rapidly acquire high-resolution chemical spectra at the selected regions. The system can also be programmed to automatically acquire spectra from an array of points across the sample. Mechanical and thermal properties, such as local thermal transitions, may also be mapped with nanoscale resolution.
Potential nanoIR application areas include polymer blends, multilayer films and laminates, organic defect analysis, tissue morphology and histology, subcellular spectroscopy, and organic photovoltaics. Polymer spectra acquired with the nanoIR system are rich, interpretable, and have demonstrated good correlation with bulk Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra. The nanoIR software allows researchers to export nanoscale IR absorption spectra to standard analysis packages. With this interface, nanoIR spectra can be used to rapidly analyse samples and identify specific chemical components.
Circle no. 324
New Solution for LPG Analysis Based on Gas Chromatography
Determining impurities in LPG is a known analytical challenge, both for a quantitative as well as a qualitative detection. Current methods used for the analysis of LPG, ASTM D 2158 and ISO 13757, bring along severe safety risks and are labor intensive.
The solution for a safe and accurate LPG analysis is the ‘High Pressure Injector (HPI)’ developed by Shell Global Solutions in close cooperation with Da Vinci Europe Laboratory Solutions. By injecting directly on the GC column under high pressure this special injector prevents any discrimination and fractionation, which will occur when using a vaporiser and heated transfer line. The HPI enables to inject up to 50 Bar for samples with a volume of 50 to 500 ul. As it does not require an LPG vaporisation, the analysis time and safety risks are considerably reduced. In addition the injector requires minor maintenance and is very easy to use. The High Pressure Injector is only one of the examples of the ways in which Da Vinci Europe can assist laboratories in making them more efficient.
Circle no. 326
CHROMATOGRAPHY & SPECTROSCOPY
First Time Exhibitor TOF Analyser Wins Bronze
A new miniature multi-turn time-of-flight (TOF) analyser ‘infiTOF’, released by first time Pittcon exhibitors MSI Tokyo, won the Pittcon Bronze Editors’ Choice Award. Their infiTOF mass spectrometer is based on orbi-electrode technology that dramatically shrinks the size of a TOF MS instrument. This instrument consists of an electron ionisation source, the multi-turn TOF analyser, a detector, vacuum system and electrical circuits. The multi-turn TOF analyser consists of four electrostatic toroidal sectors and two additional electric toroidal sectors for the purpose of an ion injection/ejection. The size of the system is 456mm x 234mm x 640mm and weighs 35kg, including the vacuum pump and electric circuits. The multi-turn TOF analyser is capable of high mass resolving power due to its infinite flight path using perfect space and time focused closed flight orbit. The MULTUM-S II offers high mass resolution in a miniaturised mass spectrometer. The company started as a venture of Osaka University.
Shinichi Miki, of MSI Tokyo, commented: “I have been working on MS for more then 20 years and I still believe that MS has many more possibilities. MultiTurn technology has a chance to open a new door.”
Circle no. 325
PITTCON NEWS
Worlds First Fully Simultaneously ICP-MS Wins Silver
The Spectro MS, the worldwide first fully simultaneously measuring mass spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-MS), was distinguished with the Pittcon Silver Editors’ Choice Award.
PITTCON NEWS
The Spectro MS records the entire elemental spectrum between lithium and uranium for every analysis. Users achieve a greatly increased sample throughput rate and much better precision and accuracy compared to using a sequential mass spectrometer. Simultaneous recording of the entire spectrum is enabled by a series of newly designed high-end components, while the housing, software and excitation technology for the Spectro MS are closely related to those of the ICP-OES flagship, the Spectro ARCOS.
A robust, free-running 27.12 MHz generator is used as the plasma generator in the new instrument; guaranteeing extremely stable power coupling in the plasma. The range of applications for the new Spectro MS is diverse. Spectro sees the most important application areas in research and development laboratories with extremely high sample throughput and high demand.
Manfred Bergsch, Spectro’s Managing Director, commented: “This award proves our courageous theory that the Spectro MS will change ICP mass spectrometry forever. The option of being able to simultaneously measure will start a revolution in the market similar to the one that occurred several years ago in optical emission spectrometers.”
Circle no. 327
LAB ASIA - MARCH/APRIL 2010 - CHROMATOGRAPHY & SPECTROSCOPY
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