Over the course of Australian history the coins used in circulation have changed multiple times from hole-punched Spanish coins to Dutch guilders, English pennies and now the Australian Dollar. One of the issues we have faced during these transitions is when the material value of the coin outweighs its value as a currency. What is […]
Portable Spectral Services (PSS) are getting into the Christmas spirit as we scan a pair of vintage Australian postage stamps dated from 1973 using micro-XRF. Figure 1. 1973 Australian Christmas stamps, designed by George Hamori. a) The baptism of Christ with the words “This is My Beloved Son”, b) The Good Shepherd with the words […]
The M4 TORNADO PLUS is the newest, most advanced micro-XRF spectrometer manufactured by Bruker. One remarkable feature of this new spectrometer is the ability to extend measurements down to detect carbon (Z=6) which improves the response of all light elements including F, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P and S along with elements such as Ti. […]
The application of portable Raman spectroscopy (pRaman), portable XRF (pXRF), and micro-XRF (µXRF) proved invaluable during the exploration, delineation and development of the Sinclair Caesium Mine, Western Australia. This article provides an insight into the application of combined spectral technologies in the exploration for, and development of mineral deposits. An algorithm to estimate the lithium […]
Research and Development is an important part of the Portable Spectral Services ethos, and our Spectral Geologist, Dr Naomi Potter, has recently commenced a research project with Prof. Marco Fiorentini at the University of Western Australia. The project aims to improve the understanding of geochemical processes that occur in the regolith overlying nickel sulphide (NiS) […]
Micro-XRF technology provides unique access to a scale of contextual chemistry that has previously not been widely utilised in industry. The instrument provides chemical information mapped at a multi-micron scale for samples up to 20cm in length (Fig 1). This has its advantages as it bridges the gap between the restricted small scale of Scanning […]
To get into the Christmas spirit Portable Spectral Services (PSS) scanned a vintage Australian card depicting a native wallaby with the inscription “A Message from the Land of the Wallaby” (Image 1a). The Wallaby, standing on a patch of grass is framed in an ovoid surrounded by eight “X”s. When examining the inside of the […]
In collaboration with Portable Spectral Services, four companies have utilised μ-XRF technology to gain valuable information from Nickel sulphide samples. Preliminary data on these samples have been released as part of their ASX announcements in the last month to support findings from their respective deposits. Half core samples were analysed with the μ-XRF without any […]
We all love a cheeky bit of chocolate. No wonder, the botanical name for the cocoa tree is Theobroma cacao, which translates to “food of the gods.” As simple as it is to enjoy, it is one of most complex chemical mixtures known (over 1500 flavour components identified!).[1] Per capita for consumption, European’s take out […]
Lithium-ion batteries come in a range of shapes, sizes and compositions, and these batteries are revolutionizing the way we produce, conserve, and use electricity. Since the late 1990s, advances in lithium-ion battery technology has been driven by the ever-increasing demand for mobile phones, laptops and other portable electronics. This technology has now been comprehensively applied […]
Did you know coffee is said to have been discovered by a goat herder in Ethiopia? With over 2.25 billion cups of coffee being consumed every day, no wonder we need a day to celebrate it! October 1st is International coffee day and as coffee enthusiasts PSS has decided to take this opportunity to analyse […]
Following on from the article in last months newsletter, we take a look at the chemical differences between fresh apples and those that have been left to rot and dehydrate. A fresh Fuji and Royal Gala apple were analysed using micro-XRF technology to investigate the chemical distributions in their structure. A month later the same […]
