Near the end of January, SPECTRO Analytical Instruments announced the first spectrometer that allows users to quickly and easily select axial plasma or radial plasma observation in a single instrument without any optical compromise—the ARCOS.
SPECTRO Analytical Instruments is a leading provider of advanced instruments for elemental analysis, including ICP-OES and XRF spectrometers. Their solutions are pivotal in industries requiring precise metal analysis and material identification, from environmental testing to manufacturing quality control.
New Instrument Allows Easy Switching to and from Axial Plasma or Radial Plasma Observation
In a release, the company stated that the ARCOS “easily surpasses the performance limitations of conventional ICP-OES instruments—dramatically improving sensitivity, stability, and precision, while lowering operating costs with the introduction of innovative components, unique capabilities, and optimum flexibility.”
The company added that the instrument establishes a new ICP-OES performance class for complex analytical tasks that resolves a wide array of the problems inherent in traditional spectrometer design.
Key features of the new spectrometer include a unique MultiView capability, which is what allows simple switching between axial plasma and radial plasma observation and also improves stability and accuracy, and the ORCA optical system. That system “delivers a matchless resolution of 8.5 picometer in the wavelength range from 130 to 340 nm,” according to SPECTRO.
The ARCOS also includes a solid-state power generator design that provides the highest plasma power available for extreme or quickly-changing plasma loads and its UVPLUS sealed optical chamber ends the need for the purging of argon or nitrogen gases—along with the related supplies, maintenance costs, and downtime. Lastly, air-cooled interface technology and the completely air-cooled generator eliminate the need for an external cooling system, along with the associated costs of such a system.
