Company Announcements

In June, XRF Scientific entered into a memo of understanding to acquire Kitco Labware, a supplier of platinum labware and precious engineered products, from Kitco Metals. XRF is a supplier of Kitco Labware. The acquisition will provide diversification of revenue from new end-markets, expansion into Latin America and an expanded customer database.

Product Introductions

Rigaku introduced in February the BioSAXS-1000 AUTO system for home-lab experimental biology SAXS (small angle X-ray scattering). It combines the BioSAXS-1000 system with automated sample handling and features the AAP (automated analysis pipeline) modules for data processing steps.

In March, Rigaku Raman Technologies launched a new version of its FirstGuard handheld Raman analyzer, featuring 1064 nm wavelength excitation.

Rigaku launched in June the new D/teX Ultra 250 1D silicon strip detector for reduced X-ray diffraction (XRD) data-acquisition time and improved throughput.

Rigaku introduced in July the Micro-Z ULS sulfur analyzer, a wavelength dispersive–XRF system for ultra–low level sulfur analysis of diesel and petrol fuels.

Oxford Instruments introduced in February the PMI-MASTER Compact, an affordable mobile optical emission spectroscopy (OES) metal analyzer. It offers rapid material verification and positive metal identification.

In March, PANalytical released the easy-to-use Stratos X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis software for its Epsilon 3 and Axios spectrometer ranges. It features the ability to analyze multilayer samples with bulk standards and to analyze more than 16 layers.

Lasersec Systems launched the LEA handheld elemental analyzer, which is based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.

Agilent released OpenLAB Data Store for MS, a simple and affordable networked solution for compliant storage of mass spectral data acquired with its ICP-MS MassHunter system. It is designed for medium to small labs measuring inorganic impurities in pharmaceutical products.

SPECTRO Analytical Instruments announced the availability of three versions of its SPECTROBLUE inductively coupled plasma–OES system: the EOP, featuring a unique axial interface; the SOP radial interface version for precise performance at higher sample concentrations; and the IT twin-interface version for automatically performing both axial and radial viewing of the plasma, which optimizes linearity and dynamic range. A new EOP model allows for field conversion to full TI version functionality.

In June, Olympus launched the benchtop BTX Profiler, a combined XRD/XRF system for compositional material analysis at the structural and elemental level. It enables random crystal orientation in a fixed sample cell and provides graphical 2D diffraction patterns.