Overview:
A cutting edge technique to improve the way waste material is treated is ensuring the team at Williams Environmental continues to provide world class service to its clients.
X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) testing is a non-destructive and reliable analysis for determining the elemental make up of any material, as well as determining the quantity of each material.
And the Williams team are using it to best effect across the wide range of industries they provides services for.
What is XRF testing?
XRF testing can be used by archaelogists to help them discover the secrets of the rose-red sandstone rocks of Petra in Jordan, or uncover the origins of an un-earthed early Anglo-Saxon coin.
XRF analysers can determine chemical compositions of residues on weapons and shell casing, helping to link them to specific crime scenes or suspects.
From archaeology to mining, aerospace to precious metals, food manufacturing, environmental, art conservation and research and development XRF testing has applications in a wide range of industries.
For the Williams Environmental team, the technology allows it to use portable XRF machines to assist in the safe and compliant sampling, identification, collections and disposal of waste material for the wide range of industries they provide services for.
Williams’ experts can perform an XRF analysis in seconds, thanks to the speed of technology and the simple point-and-shoot functionality of portable XRF equipment. Even though they are lightweight, they can perform laboratory-grade analysis.
This makes them invaluable in remote field locations.
How does the XRF gun work?
An XRF gun is a non-destructive tool designed to perform elemental analysis on materials. They harness the power of X-ray fluorescence (XRF).
- The XRF gun fires X-rays at a sample under test.
- The sample emits fluorescent X-rays.
- Each element in the sample releases a unique fluorescent “fingerprint”.
- The XRF gun captures these fluorescent signals.
- The gun identifies the contributing elements and displays a fast and clear analysis of the sample’s elemental composition.
- This is stored in the unit’s memory and a comprehensive report and can be transferred to an external computer.
Evolving our world class service:
“XRF technology has been a game changer for us and we’re delighted to be using it for our clients across a wide range of industries as part of the world class service we provide."
How are the Williams Environmental team using this new technology?
Being easily portable the XRF gun allows for convenient and near-instantaneous analysis in a variety of client locations. This enables the Williams team to make real-time decisions during the waste sorting and processing.
By identifying the elemental composition of waste material, XRF testing enables the team to adopt targeted recycling and disposal strategies.
For example, in the construction industry, it can give invaluable insight into potentially hazardous materials in debris. It can detect the presence of heavy materials such as mercury and lead, allowing for the appropriate handling and deposing of this hazardous waste and ensuring compliance with regulations.
You can read a recent case study here where our expert team were deployed to perform on site sampling using the XRF technology.
Can we help you with a similar project? Please get in contact to speak to our Friendly Customer Service team directly!
