Applied Rigaku Technologies applications

Used catalytic converters are collected and recycled in order to reclaim the precious metals Pt, Rh and Pd. Typically, the entire honeycomb core is removed and ground into fine powder. Once in powder form, the precious metal catalysts can be extracted, or the powder can be sold to a refiner. The honeycomb core is typically ceramic, containing combinations of the elements Al, Si, Fe, Zn, Sr, Zr, Ba, La and Ce. Some cores can be made of a stainless steel honeycomb and so would contain higher Fe and other metals. Catalyst material may also be high in Pb content, in regions where leaded gasoline is still used. Because all of these matrix elements can occur at various levels, the fundamental parameters software with matching Library offers quick direct analysis, of powdered catalytic converter cores, without the need for a large suite of calibration standards.

Modern Portland cement is made by mixing substances containing lime, silica, alumina, and iron oxide and then heating the mixture until it almost fuses. During the heating process dicalcium and tricalcium silicate, tricalcium aluminate, and a solid solution containing iron are formed. X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), a standard technique across the cement industry, is used to determine metal-oxide concentrations and oxide stoichiometry. The Rigaku NEX CG advanced Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer, with its high sensitivity for light (low atomic number) elements, is the perfect cost-effective backup or supplement to your mainframe WDXRF system.