inXitu’s Cost Effective XRD/XRF Now Available for Aluminum Smelting "Bath Ratio" Analysis

Mountain View, CA, February 11, 2010 --(PR.com)-- The electrolysis cell used in the production of aluminum is a complex system. The concentration of main components in the electrolyte must be tightly controlled in order to maintain optimum conditions during the production process. The electrolyte consists of a molten mixture of sodium and aluminum fluorides and other calcium, magnesium and lithium fluorides whose function is to decrease the solid forming temperature. For years the industry has relied on a combined method of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction. This “pot flux” method has become an industry standard. With the introduction of BTX, a new cost effective solution to this previously costly analysis is now available.

inXitu Inc. is a leader in portable XRD/XRF based instrumentation specializing in developing the technologies required to enable the next generation of scientific instruments used for materials analysis. The technology used in its portable rock and mineral analyzer received a prestigious R&D 100 award and was chosen to fly on the Mars Science Laboratory rover scheduled for launch in 2011.

The powder handling methods can dramatically improve the quality of XRD data while reducing the requirements for sample preparation. inXitu’s patented technique makes possible quality XRD data to be collected regardless of the grain size of the sample. Grain sizes up to 400 um have been tested producing data normally obtained with micron size particles.

Incorporating key technologies from its portable XRD instrument and advanced sample handling techniques, inXitu has developed solutions targeted for identification and analysis in the areas of material analysis, pharmaceuticals, forensics, art and archaeological materials. This new line of instruments offers performance comparable to laboratory XRD systems with the benefit of ease of use, significantly reduced sample preparation and reduced cost of acquisition and operation.

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