General chemicals quality control with benchtop XRF, handheld XRF, and thermal analysis

Industries that rely heavily on the use of chemicals to manufacture products, including paints, wood treatments, sealants, and printer inks, rely heavily on compositional analysis to ensure the final product meets specification and, in some cases, legislation. Often the analysis is purely for elemental composition to check whether the product contains the right amount of essential additives. However, in many cases, the analysis determines the characteristics of the product under real-world conditions, such as paint or sealant color at elevated temperatures.

XRF analysis is ideal for determining chemical composition as it can be carried out easily on liquids and powders with very little sample preparation. It also detects elements at extremely low levels, so is excellent for strict process control. Thermal analysis is used for product characterization and there are a range of measurement methods to choose from to determine the stability of a product under high temperature or load.

Applications for X-ray and thermal analysis within chemical-based manufacture

  • Paint: Thermal analysis DSC measurements with Hitachi’s unique RealView system allows you to check the color stability of paint at elevated temperatures. Benchtop XRF is used to control additives and levels of regulated substances
  • Wood Treatment: Benchtop and handheld XRF are used for quality control of wood preservatives and can analyze wood in solution and sawdust
  • Adhesives and sealants: Thermal analysis, such as DSC and STA, is used to check the performance of adhesives at high temperature and benchtop XRF can determine additive levels in production
  • Agrochemical analysis: Handheld XRF analysis is used for on-site soil analysis to check for the presence of toxic elements prior to using the land for food production
  • Inks, toners, and printing: Benchtop XRF analysis is used to control the levels of key components, such as titanium dioxide, in the manufacture of printing pigments and toners
  • Plating solutions: Benchtop XRF is ideal for analyzing the concentrations of plating solutions for process control

Hitachi High-Tech products for general chemical analysis

LAB-X5000 benchtop XRF for reliable, accurate quality control

LAB-X5000 benchtop XRF for reliable, accurate quality control

The powerful LAB-X5000 is ideal for general chemical analysis, both in the lab and in a manufacturing setting. Its rugged and compact design slots easily into a busy production environment, and a sample spinner can analyze several points in a single measurement run to test for homogeneity. The LAB-X has built-in safety features that protect against accidental spills and can measure hard to detect substances, such as DCOI in treated wood.

X-Supreme8000 benchtop XRF for high volume production analysis

X-Supreme8000 benchtop XRF for high volume production analysis

The X-Supreme8000 is the analyzer to choose if you have a lot of samples to test in a production setting. The benchtop instrument includes a ten-position autosampler and once up to ten samples are loaded into the instrument, it can be left to run the analysis automatically. A powerful X-ray source and a high-resolution detector ensure the X-Supreme can detect very low levels of substances within a wide range of samples.

Thermal Analysis range for in-depth material characterization

Thermal Analysis range for in-depth material characterization

Hitachi’s range of thermal analyzers give world-class baseline performance for excellent accuracy even on trace amounts of material. Sensitive enough for research and development, these instruments are robust, durable, and reliable, making them ideal for production environments. Hitachi’s unique RealView sample viewing system gives another layer of understanding of what changes are occurring with the sample during the test and is essential for in-depth materials development and failure analysis.

X-MET8000 handheld XRF for soil analysis and wood treatment

X-MET8000 handheld XRF analyzer for soil analysis and wood treatment

The X-MET8000 is a handheld XRF analyzer that’s ideal for on-site soil analysis of heavy metals and other soil pollutants, and wood preservatives in residential and commercial structures including chromates copper arsenate (CCA). With point and shoot technology and results displayed immediately on the easy-to-read screen, the X-MET significantly reduces reliance on external laboratory testing, reducing analysis time and cost.

Watch our recorded live demo of the LAB-X5000 for wood treatment



Learn how analysis techniques helps ensure product quality

How the RealView system delivers visibly better thermal analysis

How the RealView camera system delivers visibly better thermal analysis Read the article

Fighting soil contamination with XRF

Fighting soil contamination with XRF Read the article

Measuring plating bath chemistry with XRF

Measuring plating bath chemistry with XRF Read the article

Meeting changes in wood treatment with LAB-X5000

Don’t bark up the wrong tree – meeting changes in wood treatment with LAB-X5000 Read the article

Brochures and application notes

Find out more about how Hitachi’s range of analyzers can support quality control in your general chemical application by downloading a brochure or application note below.

Contact us for expert advice

For more information on the best instrument for your general chemicals application, get in touch to speak with one of our experts.

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