Standard solutions Claritas single- and multielement standard solutions from Spex CertiPrep reportedly are made with the highest purity materials
and are tested by ICP-MS. According to the company, the standards are supplied with a certificate that reports actual measured
values in the final solution of both the major analytes and as many as 68 trace element impurities. Spex CertiPrep, Metuchen, NJ; http://www.spexcsp.com/
XRF spectrometer The M1 MISTRAL tabletop microanalysis X-ray fluorescence spectrometer from Bruker AXS is designed for nondestructive analysis
of gold and other precious metals. The instrument's sample stage allows the analysis of irregularly shaped objects as large
as 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm. The spectrometer includes an integrated video microscope with a cross-hair function for sample positioning.
According to the company, elemental compositions are provided in less than 1 min of measurement time. Bruker AXS, Madison, WI; http://www.bruker-axs.com/
Automated fluxer Katanax's automated K2 fluxer is designed around a high-performance electric furnace and can prepare inorganic samples as
either glass disks for XRF or as acid solutions for ICP and AA. The fluxer reportedly can prepare as many as five samples
at a time with a throughput of as many as 25 samples per hour. The fluxer includes a multilingual text interface with a real-time
temperature display. Katanax, Quebec, Canada; http://www.katanax.com/
Raman microscope with AFM WITec's alpha500 confocal Raman microscope is designed to combine 3-D chemical imaging and atomic force microscopy for structural
imaging in an automated system. The system includes a motorized sample stage that allows multiarea, multipoint measurements
or overview scans on a user-defined number of points. The system's automated functions include integrated autofocus and an
AFM-tip approach. WITec Instruments Corp., Savoy, IL; http://www.witec-intruments.com/
Analytical instruments Analytical instruments from HORIBA Scientific are available for areas such as elemental analysis, fluorescence, forensics,
GDS, ICP, particle characterization, Raman spectroscopy, spectral ellipsometry, sulfur-in-oil analysis, water quality, and
X-ray fluorescence. Brands include Jobin Yvon, IBH, SPEX, Instruments S.A., IS, Dilor, Sofie, SLM, and Beta Scientific. HORIBA Scientific, Edison, NJ; http://www.horiba.com/scientific/
