A new hand-help portable alloy analyzer for the scrap recycling industry has been launched by Bruker, which makes hand-held, mobile and portable (HMP) metals and alloy analyzers.
The EOS 500 hand-held Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (HH-LIBS) is designed for high-speed analysis of Grade ID and chemistry in light element alloys containing Li, Mg, Al or Si. Speed, accuracy and repeatability are all attributes of the EOS 500. Compared with hand-held XRF, light element analysis with the EOS 500 is approximately 10x faster.
The EOS 500, suited for Quality Assurance (QA), metal fabrication and Positive Material Identification (PMI), was engineered for durability in the demanding conditions associated with the scrap recycling industry, the company says. The rugged design ensures that the EOS 500 will withstand field operation in nearly all environments, including humid and dusty conditions, according to Bruker.
In addition, the EOS 500 has an Air-Flow Optics Shield, which creates a continuous air shield in front of the optics in order to prevent dust build-up and to allow the EOS 500 to operate in the most demanding environments.
New EOS model 500 The EOS 500 uses a proprietary 1064 nm laser for low background laser ablation atomic emission spectroscopy. Traditional LIBS systems utilize a high energy, low frequency laser design for plasma generation, which results in high background noise, especially in the lower end of spectrum.
Bruker says its 1064 nm laser generates strong atomic emission signals without creating high background emissions, hence eliminating the need for a complicated gating system. Utilizing this unique design, Bruker’s EOS 500 can easily analyze challenging elements, such as Si and Mg.
A multi-detector design allows the EOS 500 to cover an extended wavelength range from 170 nm to 720 nm, while maintaining outstanding resolution for a complicated metal matrix such as titanium. This broad wavelength range allows the detection of elements such as Li, Be, Cs, etc., which a single detector could not cover. In addition, the extensive wave-length range also allows the EOS 500 to utilize alternative wavelengths and hence achieve better accuracy by avoiding spectrum overlap.
