AXT adds LIBS product line from ELEMISSION

Scientific equipment supplier AXT has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with ELEMISSION, a Canadian-based company that specialises in large-scale micro characterisation using continuous LIBS (laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy) scanning technology. The company’s process analytical chemistry systems provide sensitive solutions for the minerals and alloy markets.

LIBS is an atomic emission spectroscopy (AES) technique that entails zapping the surface of a sample with a laser. The resulting micro-plasma can be analysed using a spectrometer, yielding quantitative elemental distributions down to ppb sensitivity. Unlike X-ray-based techniques, LIBS can measure any element in the periodic table — including light elements such as lithium, boron and phosphorous — to high sensitivity.

LIBS has been continually developed over many years, with ELEMISSION further refining the technology using the latest lasers and electronics, resulting in real-time process analysers suited to industrial applications.

With the ability to analyse from 100 to 1000 points per second, the company’s systems are suited to real-time analysis in industrial applications. They have the ability to provide real-time feedback to process controllers, which can result in increased plant efficiency and enhanced product quality. With the addition of sophisticated chemometric software, the LIBS systems also provide mineralogy, mineral chemistry and elemental quantifications, allowing users to distinguish between such minerals as hematite (Fe₂O₃) and goethite (FeO(OH)).

ELEMISSION has developed a number of platforms that can be tailored to suit the exact requirements of a given application, including on-belt analysers, drill core, rocks/minerals and even slurries. In all cases, no sample preparation is required. The company’s automated Industry 4.0 solutions have been robustly designed to operate 24/7 in harsh operating conditions that often combine heat, humidity, dust and vibrations. Areas of application include iron ore sinter plants, scrap aluminium sorting, mineral process monitoring, metal analysis and high-throughput elemental imaging, to name a few.

The ELEMISSION high-throughput LIBS product lines further strengthen AXT’s minerals analysis portfolio. This portfolio includes handheld LIBS and XRF, high-throughput XRF and XRD, and automated mineralogy solutions.

Image caption: Mineral sample, optical microscopy image (left) and LIBS elemental map (right) generated using an ELEMISSION high-throughput LIBS scanner.

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