reontai n ct uform s fo
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Sample preparation
for XRF analysis of polymers,granulates, fluffs andrelated materials

A wide variety of materials which are not alreadyavailable in powder, liquid or solid disk form will needpreparation for XRF analysis. Here are a couple ofexamples: plastics, fibers, alternative fuels and materials
that are subject to RoHS/WEEE legislation. In most cases,
crushing, grinding and pressing or fusing produce arobust, homogeneous and representative sample.

Crushing
Crushing of the material is required to reduce its size andallow further processing such as representative subsampling, homogenization and grinding.

Grinding
Grinding the material into a fine powder is required tominimize undesired particle size effects and allow further
processing like pressing or fusion. Soft and malleable
materials which cannot be ground may require cutting to
be brought to a homogeneous, fine-grained condition.
You may need a special cutting mill or knife mill toprepare such samples.

www.malvernpanalytical.com

Pressing
Pressed powders are used in production control,
especially if the calibration ranges are narrow.
Pellets can be pressed freely into Al cups or steel rings.
Binders are usually required to achieve the necessary
mechanical stability and robustness. Malvern Panalyticaloffers the ultra-wax binder for the preparation of highquality pellets for the most demanding applications.

Hot-pressing
Granulates, fibers or powders from hot-moldable
polymers (like PE or PP) are ideally prepared by hotpressing into solid homogeneous disks. The choice ofthe correct temperature and pressure is critical for thereproducibility of the analytical method.

Loose powders and granulates in liquidcups
For screening or quick control of raw materials, you
could analyze granulates and powders ″as is″ in liquidcups. This is a practical and quick way to prepare whenaccuracy and reproducibility are not the driving factors.
However, keep in mind that there will be loss of intensity
for light elements.

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