Bruker Introduces the New TRACER 5g Handheld XRF Spectrometer

At AAPG 2018, Bruker introduced the new TRACER^TM 5g handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) elemental analyzer. This latest member of the TRACER 5 family incorporates a Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) with a graphene entrance window. While the graphene is extremely thin, its unique structure makes it extremely strong. The graphene window has higher transmission of X-rays throughout the energy spectrum and dramatically improves the transmission for light elements such as sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), silicon (Si) and aluminum (Al). This improved light element sensitivity enables new applications for handheld XRF in the fields of geology, agriculture and material science. The TRACER 5g can achieve detection limits as low as 275 ppm for Na and 100 ppm for Mg when the operated with helium purge.

Toti Larson of the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas stated “The improvements in sensitivity and in detection limits for magnesium and sodium with the TRACER 5g are really important to the research at the MSRL consortium at the Bureau of Economic Geology. This enhanced performance will improve our ability to identify sodium bearing clays and feldspars in mudrocks, and better constrain dolomite in Permian basin rock units we are currently studying.” Jonathan Knapp, a geological scientist for Bruker Nano Analytics, stated: “The improved light element performance of the new TRACER 5g opens opportunities for chemostratigraphy and quantitative characterization of geologic samples not previously realized using portable XRF. The improved detection limits will greatly enhance the measurement of carbonates and evaporites, particularly for applications in mining and oil and gas. For example, the improved detection limits for Mg will enable handheld XRF to differentiate calcite, high magnesium calcite and dolomite in carbonates.”

The TRACER 5g improves performance for light elements while retaining all the features which have made the TRACER 5i such a success in the handheld XRF market, including integrated software with complete user control of excitation, a choice of excitation collimators and filters, the ability to operate in air, vacuum or helium atmosphere, as well as the suite of powerful PC software, including Artax™ and EasyCal™, that is supplied with the instrument.

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