Each year, IBO provides a summary of new products (defined as having begun shipping in the last six months) at Pittcon. The list is not designed to be comprehensive. Part 2 of the list will appear in the March 31 issue.

Atomic Spectroscopy

PANalytical unveiled the Aeries benchtop powder XRD, presented in four different models for specific applications: cement, minerals, metals and research. The new instruments offer a fully automated operation mode, three- or six-sample changer, a unique geometry, easy handling and a user friendly interface with a built-in touchscreen. Moreover, it needs no external cooling system as all necessary cooling requirements are fulfilled internally. The device is already on the market and priced at $80,000–$120,000.

PerkinElmer announced a new single-quadrupole ICP-MS, the NexION 2000. It is capable of handling any sample matrix and interference, running any gas, including pure ammonia and other reactive gases, and detecting any particle size with an acquisition speed at 100,000 points per second. In addition, it minimizes required maintenance. For example, by applying the LumiCoil technology in the solid-state RF generator of the device, the coil needs no cooling or maintenance.

The iCAP TQ from Thermo Fisher Scientific is an ICP-MS instrument equipped with a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. Thermo Fisher developed the new product to address about 10% of applications in the market, which up to now could not be handled properly due to the detection limit of single-quadrupole ICP-MS, including detection of titanium in serum samples, and arsenic in food and environmental samples. It emphasizes ease of use and features the ability to switch between single- and triple-quadrupole modes. The system is scheduled for shipment on April 1 and has a price tag between single-quadrupole ICP-MS and high-resolution ICP-MS systems. The iCAP TQ has the same footprint as the company’s single-quadrupole ICP-MS.

XOS showcased the Sindie +Cl, which uses monochromatic wavelength dispersive XRF technology to measure total sulfur and total chlorine in petroleum samples with the push of a button. It is primarily designed for use in refinery labs, pipeline terminals, additive plants and inspection laboratories. Released in January, the instrument sells for about $170,000.

Chromatography

Bruker entered the UHPLC market with the introduction of the Elute series of UHPLC systems, which offers 1300 bar performance. Models include the Elute OLE UHPLC, which adds online extraction to ultrafast separation, and the Elute HT system, which uses the PAL3 autosampler. Depending on the model and configuration, prices range from mid-$50,000 to mid-$70,000.

Ellutia Chromatography Solutions unveiled its 500 series GC, which uses ultrafast GC to drastically speed-up analysis times for a variety of laboratories. The single-column instrument uses a compact air-blown oven and low-energy heat recovery system that significantly reduces energy consumption for end-users, thus saving costs. It is available with an optional autosampler, to which a second 500 series GC can be added if higher throughput is needed.

Shimadzu displayed its Cannabis Analyzer for Potency Testing, which is an HPLC analyzer that works on three different methods. The instrument has the capacity to analyze 11 different target cannabinoid compounds found in cannabis products, and requires no method development and a simple setup to be operated.

Informatics

LabVantage Solutions displayed its LabVantage Pharma 8 package, which can be successfully implemented within three months, based on user requirements, according to the company. The LabVantage Pharma 8 is validated using GAMP 5 guidelines to ensure experimental conformance to best lab practices. It also includes a set of pre-configured laboratory documentation templates that are designed as per customer-specific business process workflows. It is priced at approximately $100,000.

Laboratory Products

Eppendorf exhibited their new Multipurpose Centrifuge 5920 R, a benchtop centrifuge with a high capacity. It offers features that allow the spinning of both tubes and plates simultaneously by a simple change of an adapter, and not the bucket itself. Its Dynamic Compressor Control (DCC) allows for controlling the cooling performance. It began shipping in October 2016.

Glas-Col’s Zip Vap 4 automatic evaporator was launched in November 2016. The unit can accommodate up to four 96-well plates at once, ideal for high-throughput labs. The user can set the gas flow and temperature of the manifold and the plate. The system can store up to 15 recipes with 10 steps each. The unit is priced at $24,868.

The MicroFlow III class I ductless hood workstation was launched by HEMCO. The system includes a carbon filter and a fan, and is intended to use in laboratories and clinical settings for light-duty fume removal of non-hazardous chemical vapors and particulate filtration. Fan speed can be easily controlled by the user. The filters of this unit need to be changed after approximately 80 hours of usage at a price of $300 for two filters. The system is priced at $3,000.

The new Milli-Q IQ 7000 system from MilliporeSigma is the seventh generation Milli-Q water purifier. The unit features a variety of innovations, including being the first with mercury-free UV lamps for the photo-oxidation of organic contaminants. It also includes purification cartridges 33% smaller than in previous versions, which allows the same performance with less waste resulting in a 30% reduced footprint; four ergonomic and precise dispensers (Q-Pod) with a wide range of water dispensing options (from drop by drop up to 2 L per minute); and a data management system that archives 100% of the events for better traceability. It replaces the Milli-Q Advantage A10 system. The company will start shipping the system in April.

Materials Characterization

Anton Paar added to its family of Litesizer particle analysis systems with the Litesizer 100, designed to characterize nano- and microparticles in dispersions and solutions through dynamic light scattering. It is considered a streamlined version of the Litesizer 500, which was released last year.

Retsch Technology introduced the CAMSIZER X2 for particle size and particle shape analysis. Specifically designed for additive manufacturing applications, including 3D printing, the instrument is able to overcome the problem of analyzing oversized or undersized particles that tend to agglomerate. The price range is between $80,000 and $90,000.

TA Instruments introduced the Discovery Simultaneous Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC)/Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA), the SDT 650. It is the only system capable of simultaneous TGA/TGA, a dual-sample mode that delivers independent TGA measurements on two samples. Without an autosampler, the instrument is priced at about $80,000. With the addition of a 30-position linear autosampler, the price is about $100,000.

Molecular Spectroscopy

B&W Tek introduced the i-Raman Pro ST, a benchtop and portable spectrometer that allows the identification of materials inside visually opaque containers, such as white plastic bottles or paper envelopes. The system began selling this month for around $55,000.

Thermo Fisher introduced the Thermo Scientific iXR Raman Spectrometer. Built from the DXR microscope family, it is designed specifically for multimodal analysis and is capable of coupling to other analytical instruments, thus allowing simultaneous measurement of Raman spectra along with another technique. This setup can yield multifaceted information that describes the relationship between a sample’s molecular composition, and structural or surface performance.

Thermo Fisher also introduced the new Nicolet iN5 FTIR microscope, designed to quickly identify small particles, contaminants and defects that occur in production processes. It is ideal for QC laboratories and small analytical labs. The microscope requires minimal user training and features an optical setup that allows for sample viewing simultaneous with chemical data collection.