Handhelds For the Electric Vehicle and Strategic Metals Markets

SciAps built the new family of handheld LIBS and XRF analyzers for the electric vehicle and strategic metals markets. Ideal for exploration, production and recycling of lithium and REEs. SciAps, already a global leader in handheld analyzers for fossil fuel-based energy industries, has further advanced handheld XRF and LIBS analyzers to address the needs of the green economy.
  • In-field analysis of lithium in rocks and brines
  • Higher voltage XRF (up to 55 kV) to provide highly sensitive analysis of the light REEs plus ytrium
  • Popular “One Box” packages combining both XRF and LIBS devices for battery metals and strategic metals
Contact us

Simply the Best Handheld Lithium Analysis the World Has to Offer

Meet the world’s only handheld that analyzes lithium in soils, ores and brines.

Z-901 Li

The world’s only handheld analyzer capable of measuring lithium in rocks, ores, powders, and brines for instant, in-field analysis.

Z-903

Flagship geochemistry for those who require full elemental coverage, from H to U. Spectrometers spanning 190 – 950 nm measure low atomic number elements that X-ray can’t, including beryllium, boron, carbon, fluorine and sodium, plus the many transition and heavy metals that X-ray also measures.

Most Powerful Handheld XRF Analyzer

Delivering the power of a 55kV tube optimal for rare earth elements.

SciAps X-555 leads with a 55 kV X-ray tube, the world’s only handheld XRF with this capability. The 55 kV operation, rather than the industry typical 50 kV, delivers higher performance for critical “light” REEs and some “heavy” REEs, making it a superior option for REE analysis.

With the higher voltage, the X-555 effectively analyzes all of the light REEs including lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, and samarium; and heavy REEs europium and gadolinium. An additional X-ray beam setting in the unit provides optimal analysis for heavy REE yttrium, which is a widely used pathfinder for the family of strategic heavy REEs such as dysprosium, thulium and ytterbium. The standard beam also analyzes 30-plus low atomic number elements, transition and other heavy metals of interest to the mining community.

63c9ba257c426778c980ad80_55kv-300x150
Contact us

X-555 delivers industry-best limits of detection

Why a 55 kV X-ray tube? The X-ray energy needed to effectively excite emissions from the light REEs resides in the 40-48 keV range. Typical X-ray tubes in handheld units only operate up to 50 kV, and therefore only a tiny fraction of the X-ray energy is useful for excitation of the REEs.

By operating the X-ray tube up to 55 kV, about 10x more X-ray energy is available to produce emissions from the light REEs and the first two heavy REEs, gadolinium and europium. While it’s not possible to operate a handheld XRF at high enough voltages to usefully measure all heavy REEs, the X-555 provides highly sensitive yttrium analysis, which is a common pathfinder for the heavy REEs.

The X-555, with its exceptional shielding and 4 mm diameter beam collimation, may be used directly on rock surfaces and cores. It can also be equipped with an interlocked test stand for safe analysis of cupped or bagged samples.

Values for interference-free (SiO2) and highly challenging OREAS REE ores containing multiple interfering elements. LODs are for 3-sigma detection above background, 120-second test times.

Element LOD Interference-fre SiO2 sample LOD for OREA “real world” samples.
La 13 15
Ce 15 19
Pr 18 34
Nd 27 33
Sm 30 35
Eu 60 120*
Gd 90 180*

*“Real world” LODs for Eu and Gd are estimates, not derived from OREAS samples.

ONEBOX for Electric Vehicle and Strategic Metals Analysis

For users who need optimal analysis for every element and sample type, SciAps offers a family of “One Box” packages. Includes both an XRF and a LIBS analyzer, designed to share the same batteries, charger and other accessories for easy field compatibility of both technologies. The One Box provides an economic solution for strategic and EV metals critical to green economy industries.
Contact us

EV + Strategic Metals One Box

The ultimate package: Lithium, REEs, and everything in between. Pair SciAps Z-901 Lithium (LIBS) for rocks, ores, powders and brines (or can be expanded to Z-902 if B, Na, Mg, Ca, K and other metals are required for brines) with SciAps X-555 (XRF) for complete REE and battery metals analysis. X-555 elements analyzed include La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd and Y; battery metals Mn, Co and Ni; a suite of light elements including P, Mg, Si, Al, S, K, Ca; and a standard package of transition and heavy metals common to the mineral exploration industry. Don’t need REE performance? Then substitute the X-505 or X-550 instead.
Contact us

Battery Metals One Box

Focused in on battery metals? Includes SciAps Z-901 Lithium for rocks, ores, and brines; or Z-902 Lithium if B, Na, and other metals are required for brines. Pairs with SciAps with X-555 for widest range of transition and heavy metals down to Mg, plus REE and battery metals Mn, Ni and Co; or simply choose SciAps X-505 for measuring battery metals Mn, Co and Ni, plus a general mining suite of 30+ additional elements.
Contact us