Thermo Fisher Scientific has launched its Niton XL2 GOLDD Series handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, along with an enhanced Niton XL3t GOLDD+ Series, which offers top performance and features available in the product line. According to the supplier, Niton analyzers can quickly determine the elemental composition of sample data at all stages of the exploration, mining and refining processes.
The company claims its Geometrically Optimized Large Area Drift Detector (GOLDD) technology delivers faster measurement times and lower detection limits—as much as 10 times faster than conventional Si-PIN detectors and up to three times more precisely than conventional smaller silicon drift detectors (SDD). This technology also allows light-element analysis of magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), phosphorus (P) and sulphur (S) without helium purge or vacuum assist.
“More than 2,000 Thermo Scientific Niton XRF analyzers are already deployed in the mining industry. With the launch of the Niton XL2 GOLDD and enhanced Niton XL3t GOLDD+, mining companies of any size can access a range of products that are engineered from the ground up to withstand harsh mining environments, reduce laboratory costs and improve efficiency,” said Bob Wopperer, director of marketing and business development for Thermo Scientific Niton Analyzers.
“The Niton XL2 GOLDD is the ideal instrument for grade control, concentrator operations and near-mine exploration, while the Niton XL3t GOLDD+ is the analyzer of choice for advanced exploration. With the Niton XL3t GOLDD+, you get lab-quality analysis in the field, logging trailer or core room,” said Wopperer.
Niton XL2 GOLDD analyzers have a 45-kV, 100-μA X-ray tube and are lightweight but built to withstand severe environments. Ergonomically designed and featuring daylight readable icons, the Niton XL2 GOLDD incorporates customizable menus, multi-language options and a standard analytical range of more than 30 elements from magnesium to uranium. It is suitable for mine mapping, development and grade control where accurate elemental composition data is required across a large number of samples.
Niton XL3t GOLDD+ analyzers feature a 50-kV, 200-μA X-ray tube and offer the new Thermo Scientific TestAll Geo feature, which automatically determines the correct analytical test mode for rapid analysis of major, minor and trace elements in samples.
The analyzers, said Thermo Scientific, provide integrated, tamperproof storage of test results and incorporate multiple communication options including Bluetooth wireless and USB communications. They also come standard with Thermo Scientific Niton Data Transfer (NDT) software, a suite of data management utilities that allows users to set operator permissions, print certificates of analysis to document results or operate the analyzer remotely from a PC. The NDT file format preserves and protects the data from each sample analysis, ensuring data is not unintentionally or intentionally compromised.
Both series of analyzers offer users the choice of an out-of-the-box field mapping option or seamless integration with existing commercial mapping packages. Both analyzers store results that are matched to GPS coordinates, and this information can simply be downloaded to existing GIS and data analysis packages.
