Handheld Vacuum Enhanced X-Ray Fluorescence Analyzer

"KeyMaster Technologies (now dba Bruker Handheld) of Kennewick, Washington and NASA\'s Marshall Space Flight Center teamed up to improve a hand held chemical analyzer to serve as a quality control tool for parts destined for the Space Shuttle.

The Bruker hand-held X-Ray Fluorescent device (XRF) detects the presence of elements in various materials. The enhancements developed in partnership with NASA, including the addition of an internal vacuum feature, made it possible for the analyzer to identify hard-to-detect elements such as sodium, aluminum, and silicon.

According to Fred Schramm of Marshall\'s Engineering Directorate, "NASA needed this capability to conduct quality control for critical aluminum alloy parts used in the Space Shuttle Program." He continued, "Having a portable chemical analyzer enables NASA to conduct field analyses on larger components like Reusable Solid Rocket Motors."

Bruker Handheld now markets the enhanced XRF device for an expanding list of unique applications from brand protection to testing the effectiveness of carpet cleaning methods.

The Carpet and Rug Institute of Dalton, Georgia, has incorporated the XRF technology in its testing programs. In a giant leap ahead for the flooring and floor care industry the enhanced X-Ray fluorescence instrument precisely measures the amount of a special designer soil applied to and removed from carpet providing the fastest, most accurate method for analyzing the soil removal capabilities of floor care products to improve carpet cleanliness and indoor air quality here on Earth."