Fields of application of elemental analysis

Identifying, sorting and characterising alloys, from quality control to gold buy-back.

• Coating thickness measurement, Al to Sn (contacts, successive layers, semiconductors, watchmaking, automotive)
• Metal sorting and recycling, Mg to Pb
• Positive Material Identification (PMI): quality control, base materials, investigations
• Characterisation of precious metals: gold buy-back, ingots, jewellery
• Foundries: Al, Fe and Au bases
• Lead in plumbing brass
• RoHS: screening for heavy metals in manufactured products
• Ferroalloys and carbides (WC)

Learn more: Metal sorting and recycling by XRF · Precious metal analysis and watchmaking applications

From assessing a concession to production monitoring, elemental analysis on the deposit itself.

• Ore analysis: bauxite, Cu, Co, Ni, Ag, Sn, Ba, Ta, Pb, Au, U
• Ore analysis after beneficiation
• Elemental data for assessing a concession's resources
• Production monitoring, from mining to the finished product
• Rare earth element (REE) analysis
• Low-grade magnesium analysis in quarries, before extraction
• Cement works control: Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Fe
• Glass characterisation: Na, Mg, Al, Si, Fe, Co, Zr, Ba, Pb
• Automotive catalysts: REE, Pt, Rh
• Diatomite and olivine analysis
• Characterisation of excavated material (tunnel boring)
• Setting up and characterising provenance traceability

Learn more: XRF analysis of ores and mine ores

Soils, surfaces, premises, waste: locating a contamination before settling on a plan of action.

• Contamination and pollution of soils and earth
• Contamination of industrial and private premises
• Contamination of product surfaces
• Heavy metals (Cd, Pb) in living organisms: fish, plants, mosses
• Metals in waste, before storage or incineration
• Metals in incineration ash

Learn more: On-site XRF analysis service

The sampling-free measurement on which building surveys rest.

• Lead in paint and building surveys
• Analysis of lead dust on floors, before and after works
• Verifying the encapsulation of lead paint, before and after works

Learn more: Lead analyser by X-ray fluorescence

Provenance, authenticity, restoration: reading composition without taking anything from the object.

• Characterisation of colouring pigments
• Provenance and origin research
• Characterisation of counterfeits
• Chemical taggants: inks, paints, additives
• Precious stones: building a traceability database
• Forensic, customs and food-safety investigations
• Meteorite analysis
• Museum restoration: wood, metals
• Analysis of books before deacidification

Learn more: XRF analysis in art, archaeology and forensic investigation

Regulatory compliance and sorting of materials for recycling.

• RoHS: screening for heavy metals in manufactured products
• Metals in plastics for recycling
• Toners (Si)
• Tyres: steel belt, additives in the rubber

The polymer itself is identified by Raman. Learn more: Polymer analysis by Raman

Cutting, engine and transformer oils: additives, wear and contaminants.

• Transformer oils: chlorine screening as an indicator of PCBs, confirmed in the laboratory
• Additives in new oils: S, Cl, Fe, Cu, Mo, Sn
• Wear metals in oils in service
• Assessing precious metals in cutting and polishing oils (watchmaking)

Additives and traces of catalysts in formulations.

• Additives in shampoos, cosmetics and toothpastes: Si, Ca, Ti, Ba
• Detection of catalyst traces

Understanding why a part failed, or why a batch is not homogeneous.

• Corrosion products: the elements by XRF, the compound by Raman
• Detection of material heterogeneity

Learn more: Material analysis techniques

Assimilated trace elements, nutrients and supplements, from the soil to the plate.

• Analysis of trace elements taken up by crops, growth monitoring for supplementary feeding
• Phosphate analysis
• Mineral elements in nutritional supplements: fish, poultry
• Analysis of mineral elements in powdered milk

Tracing an exposure back to its source, in a home as much as in a collection.

• Finding the source of raised blood lead levels
• Detecting arsenic in books: Scheele's green, Paris green, Schweinfurt green, arsenate, copper acetoarsenite
• Detecting mercury and bromine in books
• Detecting heavy metals in enamels: goldsmithing, watchmaking
• Material testing of prostheses and implantable materials

Learn more: Lead sources, health and heritage collections

Drilling concretes and prospecting cores, all elements from Mg to U.

• Analysis of concretes specific to subsea drilling
• Analysis of shale gas prospecting cores, all elements from Mg to U

XRF is often the first multi-element investigation technique brought in, both in the laboratory and in the field. It calls for an approach to sampling, preparation, calibration and validation before being deployed for qualitative and quantitative purposes. We provide that support.

Training tailored to the need, on site or in sessions covering several fields of application.

When the catalogue instrument does not meet the need, we adapt it.

• Remote analyser, controlled at a distance
• Inline analyser, integrated into a production line