Keymaster Tracer III-V
The Tracer III-V instrument from Keymaster Technologies (currently Bruker, Karlsruhe, Germany) is a compact and light (ca 2 kg) instrument. With this portable XRF (PXRF) it is possible to perform XRF analysis on-site. The instrument can be used handheld, but it is also possible to mount the PXRF on a camera stand or light tripod in order to maintain a stable measurement position during long measurements.
Before impinging on the object, the X rays pass through a small chamber that can be evacuated by means of an external pump; the X-ray window is sealed with a polymer membrane. This reduction in the air path can improve the minimum detection limit (MDL) for light elements from Mg to Mn. However, the object itself remains in the air and therefore the attenuation of the signal depends on the distance between the tip and the object surface.
X-ray source:
- Rh-Kα source (max 40 kV; 2-25 μA): app 1 cm2
X-ray detector:
- peltier cooled SiPINdiode detector (∼175 eV at 5.9 keV)
- detector-source are in a 45◦ geometry
Beam filters:
- Al/TI
Electrical mains or battery (3-4 h)