Niton XLT 793Y Handheld XRF Analyzer

Niton XLT 793Y Handheld XRF Analyzer

Thermo Scientific Niton XLT 793 KWZ X-Ray Fluorescence XRF Soil Analyzer The XLt is designed to be used either as a hand-held instrument for in-situ analysis or as a bench-top instrument, in a test stand with a sample drawer below the instrument, for ex-situ analysis.

Niton XLT 793Y Handheld XRF Analyzer

The Niton XLt 700 Series XRF analyzer is a small, field-portable instrument designed for chemical characterization of soils, sediment, and other thick, homogeneous samples (plastics and metals). The analyzer features a miniaturized x-ray tube for the excitation source and a Peltier-cooled Si-PiN x-ray detector. The analyzer’s standard software is programmed to analyze and automatically report 25 elements. The optional proprietary software package called PERFECT (for Programmable Excitation by Regulation of Filters, Energy, Current, and Time) provides additional capabilities for analyzing and reporting light elements (including vanadium and chromium) and optimizes the detection limits for a suite of elements specific to an application. Other features include an integrated touch-screen display; completely sealed housing to protect the analyzer from moisture and dust; lithium-ion batteries; an integrated bar code reader and virtual keypad; remote operation and custom report generation capability from a Windows-based PC; a shielded bench-top test stand; and Bluetooth wireless communication to a laptop or personal data assistant (PDA).

The XLt is calibrated to simultaneously analyze up to 25 elements, including all eight Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals. The analyzer does not require a site- or material-specific calibration; however, it is capable of handling user-generated empirical calibrations, if required for specific applications.

The XLt is designed to be used either as a hand-held instrument for in-situ analysis or as a bench-top instrument, in a test stand with a sample drawer below the instrument, for ex-situ analysis. To analyze soil samples in the in-situ mode, the instrument x-ray window is placed directly on the ground or on soils in a plastic bag; for ex situ analysis, samples are prepared in x-ray sample cups and are placed in the sample drawer at the bottom of the test stand, directly beneath the instrument x-ray window. In situ testing with the XLt allows for a semi-quantitative assessment of element concentrations at multiple locations or over large areas in a short time. Quantitative ex situ testing involves properly preparing the samples, placing the samples in x-ray sample cups, and analyzing them in a controlled area, typically free from dust and weather extremes. Most field applications incorporate a combination of in situ and ex situ testing.

The XLt can be used to analyze elements under three primary scenarios: (1) bulk sample mode (includes soils, sediments, and metal alloys); (2) thin film mode (includes dust wipes and filters); and (3) plastics mode. Two standard calibrations are provided under the bulk sample mode and include one for standard soils and one for industrial bulk (metal alloys). Additional user-defined calibrations can be programmed and used under the bulk sample mode. In the thin film mode, the XLt can be used to analyze thin samples (dust wipes) and other filter media used to capture airborne particulate matter.

XRF analysis using the XLt can comply fully with EPA Method 6200, “Field Portable XRF Spectrometry for the Determination of Elemental Concentrations in Soil and Sediment.” Since XRF analysis is nondestructive, samples analyzed by XRF can be sent to a fixed analytical laboratory for confirmation of results.

Weight 3.0 pounds (1.4kg)
Excitation Source Miniature x-ray tube and power supply
(40 kilovolts [kV]/50 microamps [µA] maximum)
with optional PERFECT technology.
Detector High-performance Si-PiN detector, Peltier cooled.
Signal Processing Hitachi SH-4 CPU ASICS high-speed DSP 4096 channel MCA
Element Range Up to 25 standard elements in the range from titanium
(atomic number: 22) to plutonium (atomic number: 94)
Some nonstandard in-range elements available at additional cost
Batteries (2) Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
packs with quick-swap capability; 6 to 12 hour life between recharges
(maximum depends on platform and duty cycle), 2-hour recharge cycle.
Testing Modes Bulk sample mode
Thin sample mode, including dust wipe mode and 37-millimeter filter mode