Latest News

What are fusion furnaces and how are they used?

Fusion furnaces are machines designed to carry out sample preparation for analysis via x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy and inductively-couple plasma (ICP) spectroscopy.

XRF and ICP spectroscopy are powerful techniques for chemical and elemental techniques, but each has very specific requirements for sample preparation. Fusion furnaces help to achieve high quality sample preparation through the controlled application of heat.

When preparing samples using fusion furnaces, the sample must first be finely ground to a powder. This powder is then mixed with a flux and introduced to the fusion furnace. Within the fusion furnace, the flux and sample mixture undergoes controlled heating in a crucible to high temperature...

As defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), reference materials are “sufficiently homogeneous and stable with respect to one or more specified properties, which has been established to be fit for its intended use in a measurement process”.

Here we will outline the role of reference material manufacturers, what we produce, while outlining the difference between reference materials and certified reference materials.

What is a Reference Material Manufacturer?

A reference material manufacturer develops reference materials according to standards set out by the ISO.

The ISO published a guide on what standards reference material producers (RMPs) must adhere to if they are producing reference materials (non-ce...

An X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer is an X-ray instrument that is employed for the routine chemical analysis carried out on sediments, rocks, minerals and fluids. It is a relatively non-destructive technique that works on wavelength-dispersive spectroscopic principles. XRF instrumentation is generally used for bulk analyses of larger areas of minerals and materials.

The Key Principles of XRF

The technique used by XRF spectrometers is possible because of the behavior of the atoms when they interact with radiation. If material is excited via high-energy, short-wavelength radiation it may become ionized. If the energy is high enough it will have the capacity to dislodge an inner electron that has been tightly held. After this, the atom becomes unstable ...