This application note shows that the compact Revontium™ XRF spectrometer provides excellent performance for the analysis of ADPOL elemental standards offered by Malvern Panalytical, making it an ideal choice for quantifying catalyst residues and functional additives in polyethylene samples.
Catalysts are essential for the manufacture of many polymers, while functional additives allow the polymer’s properties to be tuned to meet the desired specifications. However, the use of catalysts and functional additives can result in trace-level elements becoming incorporated into the final polymer. Levels of these elements must comply with national and international regulations and standards, such as REACH, and this presents an ongoing challenge for manufacturers.
Performing routine elemental analysis of polymer materials after incorporation of additives is a cost effective way of streamlining compliance with regulations, but the analysis must be quick, and the data must be reliable. The Revontium™ energy-dispersive XRF instrument meets these requirements, by providing accurate results far faster than conventional XRF systems, while the need for dependable results is assured by the use of ADPOL XRF reference materials from Malvern Panalytical.
These ADPOL reference materials have been specifically developed for the analysis of catalyst residues and functional additives in polyethylene. There are five disc-shaped polyethylene standards (1–5) that cover the metallic elements and concentration ranges usually of interest in polymers (namely Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Ca, Ti and Zn). Each standard consists of four replicates, and there is also a blank.
In this application note, we demonstrate the value of Revontium for routinely assessing concentrations of residual elements in polyethylene, by providing performance data for the analysis of ADPOL reference materials.
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This application note shows that the compact Revontium™ XRF spectrometer provides excellent performance for the analysis of ADPOL elemental standards offered by Malvern Panalytical, making it an ideal choice for quantifying catalyst residues and functional additives in polyethylene samples.
Catalysts are essential for the manufacture of many polymers, while functional additives allow the polymer’s properties to be tuned to meet the desired specifications. However, the use of catalysts and functional additives can result in trace-level elements becoming incorporated into the final polymer. Levels of these elements must comply with national and international regulations and standards, such as REACH, and this presents an ongoing challenge for manufacturers.
Performing routine elemental analysis of polymer materials after incorporation of additives is a cost effective way of streamlining compliance with regulations, but the analysis must be quick, and the data must be reliable. The Revontium™ energy-dispersive XRF instrument meets these requirements, by providing accurate results far faster than conventional XRF systems, while the need for dependable results is assured by the use of ADPOL XRF reference materials from Malvern Panalytical.
These ADPOL reference materials have been specifically developed for the analysis of catalyst residues and functional additives in polyethylene. There are five disc-shaped polyethylene standards (1–5) that cover the metallic elements and concentration ranges usually of interest in polymers (namely Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Ca, Ti and Zn). Each standard consists of four replicates, and there is also a blank.
In this application note, we demonstrate the value of Revontium for routinely assessing concentrations of residual elements in polyethylene, by providing performance data for the analysis of ADPOL reference materials.
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