RoHS/WEEE Screening With Niton's XLt
Niton is currently marketing a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) product aimed at screening plastics for green compliance. The XLt will detect the presence of Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, and Br in a variety of materials. The chief target is plastic parts. Plastics might contain these metals as stabilizers, or they could be treated or impregnated with brominated flame retardants.
The XLt, sold as the XLt 794, is a hand-held device. You point it at a sample, activate it, and in seconds you know if any of the banned elements are present. Because the instrument uses x-rays to take measurements, radiation safety and operational training are required. The XLt itself is very easy to use. It weighs 3 pounds and operates for 4-6 hours on a battery charge. It is similar in size and weight to a cordless drill, but looks more like a science fiction energy weapon.
XRF is an excellent tool for green compliance screening. The procedure is simple. Take a reading of the sample with the XLt. If banned materials are not detected, then the sample is free of them. The parts can be cleared as compliant. If banned materials are detected, then you begin your non-compliance process. This could include contacting the supplier to determine the problem, sampling stock and possibly purging it, sending the part out for detailed chemical analysis, and halting production.
Niton makes a wide range of other portable products for various purposes. Note, the first source listed is the primary source.
| XLp 300 | Xli/XLp/XLt 500 | |
| Purpose | Detecting lead in paint, soil, dust or air | Rapid testing of metals |
| Source(s) | 109Cd 40mCi | InfinitonT 109Cd 50mCi 55Fe 40mCi 241Am 30mCi |
| Elements detected (InfinitonT source) | Pb | Au, Ag, Pt, Rh, Ru, Ir, Pd, Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, Fe |
| Batteries | Rechargeable Li-ion, 10-14 hr life, 3 hr recharge | Rechargeable Li-ion, 4-6 hr life, <2 hr recharge |
| X-ray detector | Solid state, thermo-electrically cooled | Solid state, thermo-electrically cooled |
| XLi/XLp 700 | XLt 700 | Xli/XLp 800 | XLt 800 | |
| Purpose | Soil and environmental testing | Soil and environmental testing | Analysis of metals | Analysis of metals |
| Source(s) | InfinitonT 109Cd 50mCi 55Fe 40mCi 241Am 30mCi |
40 kV 50 uA miniature X-ray tube | InfinitonT 109Cd 50mCi 55Fe 40mCi 241Am 30mCi |
35 kV 1.0 W miniature X-ray tube |
| Elements detected (InfinitonT source) | Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Zr, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, Hg, Pb | Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Zr, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, Hg, Pb | Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr, Nb(Cb), Mo, Hf, Ta, Re, W, Pb, Bi, Sn, Pd, Ag | Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr, Nb(Cb), Mo, Hf, ta, Re, W, Pb, Bi, + Sn & Ag at concentrations >2% |
| Batteries | Rechargeable Li-ion, 4-6 hr life, <2 hr recharge | Rechargeable Li-ion, 4-6 hr life, <2 hr recharge | Rechargeable Li-ion, 4-6 hr life, <2 hr recharge | Rechargeable Li-ion, 4-6 hr life, <2 hr recharge |
| X-ray detector | Solid state, thermo-electrically cooled | Solid state, thermo-electrically cooled | Solid state, thermo-electrically cooled | Solid state, thermo-electrically cooled |
Weights:
Xli 1.7 lbs, 0.8 kg
XLp/XLt 3.0 lbs, 1.4 kg
Related articles:
XRF Analyzer Directory
