Cement is one of the most important materials for construction. ASTM C114-11 covers chemical analysis of hydraulic cement. XRF spectrometry is used for chemical composition analysis of cement due to its simple sample preparation and high precision. This application note demonstrates quantitative analysis for Portland cement by the pressed powder method according to ASTM C114-11 on the Rigaku Supermini200, a benchtop sequential wavelength dispersive XRF spectrometer.
How Do We Improve Elemental Impurity Analysis in Pharmaceutical Quality Control?
May 16th 2025In this final part of our conversation with Harrington and Seibert, they discuss the main challenges that they encountered in their study and how we can improve elemental impurity analysis in pharmaceutical quality control.
How do Pharmaceutical Laboratories Approach Elemental Impurity Analysis?
May 14th 2025Spectroscopy sat down with James Harrington of Research Triangle Institute (RTI International) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, who was the lead author of this study, as well as coauthor Donna Seibert of Kalamazoo, Michigan. In Part I of our conversation with Harrington and Seibert, they discuss the impact of ICH Q3D and United States Pharmacopeia (USP) <232>/<233> guidelines on elemental impurity analysis and how they designed their study.
LIBS Illuminates the Hidden Health Risks of Indoor Welding and Soldering
April 23rd 2025A new dual-spectroscopy approach reveals real-time pollution threats in indoor workspaces. Chinese researchers have pioneered the use of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and aerosol mass spectrometry to uncover and monitor harmful heavy metal and dust emissions from soldering and welding in real-time. These complementary tools offer a fast, accurate means to evaluate air quality threats in industrial and indoor environments—where people spend most of their time.