X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF)

On October 2, 2018, we held a seminar entitled “Overcoming Characterization Challenges in Drug Formulation” in the Boston area.  It was a great opportunity to meet with many pharmaceutical scientists in the area and learn about their challenges and concerns.  The presentations addressed a number of topics of interest, from stability of formulations, trace phase and impurity detection, deformulation, root cause analysis, to optimizing small molecule candidate screening.  There were great questions from the audience, so we rounded up several questions and answers here to share.
How does the Mastersizer 3000 see …

Of all the chemical processes in the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries, cross-coupling reactions are among the most important.  This often involves platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts, which then must be separated from the product to avoid contamination of the product by these regulated elemental impurities (USP<232>), as well as avoiding that these valuable materials enter the waste stream.
Here is where the process chemists step in to save the day, developing methods to scavenge metal catalyst, tailored for effectiveness with each new compound.  This is an iterative process, and metals …

Technology developments have fundamentally changed the way elemental analysis can be performed. In the past elemental analysis techniques, like ICP and floor-standing wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), were limited to central laboratories. Over the past two decades, the performance of smaller energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analyzers have improved a lot, mainly due to the rapid development in electronics and detector technology. This has enabled benchtop XRF systems, like Malvern Panalytical’s Epsilon range, to perform norm-compliant analysis. It has become possible to bring elemental analysis towards the sample, decreasing feedback …

We recently announced that the company has received a US patent and Australian patent on its new solution for the multi-sensor analysis of complex geologic materials. The patent is centered around the ASD brand of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) solutions, including the TerraSpec® and FieldSpec® instruments, that are part of the Malvern Panalytical family of products. The unique solution was invented to improve the characterization of natural geological materials.
Many different analytical techniques are used to describe mineralogical and metallurgic response of mining ore, and we often see mining companies measuring the same …

Physical characterization of pharmaceutical drugs is an essential part of drug formulation to ensure efficacy, stability, and safety. Malvern Panalytical is pleased to offer two upcoming complimentary seminars in the US for advanced characterization technologies for improving small molecule and biological drug formulation outcomes.
Our seminars will focus on numerous concerns and technologies used in the physical characterization of drug formulations, both small molecule and biomolecule. Topics include:

Recent advances in powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) for pharma
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) – the fast and easy alternative technique for USP 232
Resolve analytical challenges in …

Platinumware is used in sample preparation by fusion for XRF and ICP analysis. Crucibles (used for XRF and ICP analysis) and molds (only used for XRF) are made of 95% Pt and 5% Au.
Why use platinum and gold?
It has been proven that this alloy has a high melting point and can withstand extreme heat. Platinum has a great thermal conductivity and ensures very low contamination of the molten mixture during fusion. The addition of gold has a non-wetting effect. In short, the alloy of these two precious metals allows the …

The weighing step is of major importance in sample preparation by fusion since it has a direct impact on the analytical results.
Let’s see five best practices to ensure repeatability and productivity while weighing.
REPEATABILITY
Find the right weighing method
There are three weighing methods in sample preparation: sample-to-flux ratio, catch weight and manual weighing. The far best choice is sample-to-flux ratio since it ensures great repeatability and can be performed automatically using LeDoser-12 instrument. With this method, no software correction is required.
Avoid transferring the weighed content into a different container
You should always weigh …

Safe, high-quality food is something that many of us take for granted. Occasionally though, a scandal occurs that shocks the world. Whether it is plastic in chocolate, melamine in milk powder, lead in noodles or lead in water, the consequences can be devastating for the people and businesses involved.
Consequences can be health-related for consumers but also affect the profitability and reputation of the brands of the companies involved. Governments around the world have responded to these liabilities with increased oversight and regulations – for example, the Food Safety Modernization Act …

Lower commodity prices, weaker demand, environmental regulations, lower ore grades, and higher running costs are some of the main challenges that the mining industry has to deal with every day. But now is a good time, while activities are off-peak, to adopt sustainable cost control measures beyond the traditional and generate data that will improve productivity and process stability. Reducing C1 cash costs and increasing revenues can be accomplished with the extensive use of automation and robots in the field and in the laboratory, to gain in productivity and remain …

Outdoor air pollution can have many sources, both anthropogenic (power generation, vehicle emissions, industrial and agricultural emissions, etc.) and natural, for instance, volcanic eruption, wind erosion or wildfires.  A key area of concern is the Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), which can have adverse effects on health, particularly in the particle size ranges under ten microns.  These are further characterized by two designations – PM10 (2.5 – 10 micron) and PM2.5 (<2.5 micron), with PM10 having the ability to penetrate deep into lungs, and PM2.5 able to permeate throughout the body …

The Malvern Panalytical annual Pittsburgh user group is back on May 16-17 at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott. This is our 27th year bringing the latest information on X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence to industry and academic users in the area, and offers a great opportunity to network with Malvern Panalytical specialists and other attendees, discuss research and share best practices. The meeting runs two days and includes a customer appreciation dinner on the evening in between.
The meeting also features presentations from our industry and academia customers, highlighting the ways these …

Claisse® LeNeo was launched in 2014. It’s a one-position instrument that is used in various types of industries.
Read the following lines to discover why it’s the right instrument to use in universities and colleges’ labs.
Reason 1 – Safety
The safety of students should always be an academic institution’s main concern. Manual fusion is often used in colleges and universities’ laboratories, but it involves the manipulation of hot vessels and is not representative of technologies used in the labor market. By being fully automatic, LeNeo instrument guarantees cold-to-cold operation and avoids the …

Malvern Panalytical sera à Forum Labo Biotech Lyon, Stand A12, (en bas des escalators) les 28 et 29 mars 2018. Forum Labo est le salon des fournisseurs de matériels et services pour le laboratoire.
Venez voir en exclusivité le nouveau granulomètre et analyseur de forme Morphologi 4 ainsi que 3 autres nouveaux instruments inédits !
Vous pourrez découvrir :

Un nouveau rhéomètre avec de nouvelles fonctionnalités,
Des passeurs d’échantillons pour Zetasizer, Nanosight NS300,

Un nouveau spectromètre de fluorescence X Epsilon 4 de la gamme Panalytical.

Toute notre équipe de spécialistes d’application sera présente, prête à répondre à toutes vos questions …

Gelatin is a well-known ingredient in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. It is colorless and flavorless and is used for example as a thickener in many sweets or in capsules. Gelatin is a natural product and can be derived from collagen obtained from e.g. cattle, fish, chicken, and horses. Depending on source and preparation methods (acidic or alkali) many different types of gelatin with varying quality are obtained.
The need for analysis
You might remember a few years ago there was news from China about toxic gelatin capsules containing high concentrations …

After the introduction of the Zetium at Pittcon in March 2015, I look back at the most exciting product launch I have ever been part of with great awe of what we have achieved. I still remember my euphoric mood on my flight back from New Orleans. Not because of amenities on board or the limited leg room, no, it was about what had happened in the past months in the running up to the launch of our latest product, the Zetium XRF spectrometer.
Now you must know. I have been …

Malvern Panalytical will be in Minnesota, United States at the SME Annual Conference & Expo from February 25-28th!
SME is the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc. This event gathers together the mining and mineral community, comprised of engineers, geologists, metallurgists, educators, students and researchers. The society advances the worldwide mining and underground construction community through information exchange and professional development.

ASD TerraSpec® Halo
We invite you to come discover the product lines of Malvern Panalytical and what we can do for your mining and mineral needs. Find the following instruments in our …

When performed correctly, fusion is the sample preparation technique that leads to the obtention of the most precise and accurate XRF and ICP analytical results. Among all factors that need to be considered to get great glass disks or solutions and therefore excellent analysis, the choice of flux is one of the most important.
Let’s discover why.
An Indispensable Chemical
The flux forms the matrix of the disk analyzed by the spectrometer. It must melt before the sample dissolves into it. An adequate flux allows to:

Optimize the solubility of the sample and …

For quality and process control many elemental analysis techniques are available. Let’s see how ICP, AAS, ICP-MS, ICP-OES and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) stack up are traditional techniques used in many industries. Each of these techniques has a number of advantages and disadvantages giving the analyst the flexibility to choose which technology suits best. When the required limits of quantification are above 1 ppm (µg/g), or when the non-destructive analysis is required, XRF is a very attractive technique that should be considered, especially when analyzing solids, powders, slurries, filters, and …

What is fusion?
You might already know that the choice of the sample preparation method for X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) or Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) atomic emission spectroscopy analysis is critical to obtain precise and accurate results with the spectrometer.
Have you ever heard about fusion? Let’s demystify this technique and have a look at its benefits when compared to pressed pellets.
What is it exactly?
Fusion for XRF analysis consists of mixing a ground sample with a borate flux (lithium or sodium) inside a 95% platinum / 5% gold crucible, heating around 1000 °C with …

A while ago I attended the mining conference Exponor in Antofagasta, Chile and found it to be an immense, mostly open-air display and the technical program aimed at keeping the South American mines informed of the latest solutions for all aspects of their industry. In and amongst the huge mining machinery and vendors of everything – from dust masks to helicopters – was Malvern Panalytical. One trend did emerge from the people we did get to talk to at this event – a common theme of looking for ways to improve efficiency. This …