Analytical instrumentation company Shimadzu has released the industry's first EDX-FTIR contaminant finder/material inspector.
The EDXIR-Analysis software enables integration and analysis of data acquired from both an Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (EDX) and a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FTIR).
For contaminant analyses, data acquired with EDX and FTIR is integrated and analysed using the new software.
Background
In recent years, manufacturers of food and chemicals have seen an increased demand for analyses of contaminants. The EDX is suitable for the identification of metals and other inorganic elements' and the FTIR works on analysis of polymeric materials and organic substances.
However, derivations from the data of the two instruments are essentially left up to the analyst. Shimadzu received many requests for software capable of automatic analysis of data.
Features
Integrated analysis of EDX and FTIR
Specified data acquired by EDX and FTIR is analysed using newly developed algorithms and checked against the contaminant library.
In a few seconds, a hit list is displayed ordered according to the probability of a match. The library contains practical information such as the material, colour, shape and metallic lustre of contaminants.
Acceptance inspection through comparisons
Specified data acquired by EDX and FTIR is compared with a selected data item in the contaminant library. The respective degrees of matching are displayed.
This function can be used for inspection of incoming materials and as a countermeasure against "silent changes," whereby a supplier has made unauthorised changes in the compositions of raw materials.
