Soil testing at 55 kV for superior precision

The world’s most powerful handheld

XRF SciAps X-555 features the world’s only 55 kV tube, yielding superior limits of detection and precision for the subset of RCRA and EPA Priority Pollutant Metals cadmium, barium, tin, antimony, and silver.

  • Up to three automated beam settings, designed for optimal performance across the entire periodic table from Al to U.

  • The high-voltage beam operates at 55 kV and appropriate filtering to optimize sensitivity to cadmium and other metals in that atomic number range.

  • ‍Lower beam settings provide analysis for the remaining RCRA and Priority Pollutant metals including Pb, As, Hg, Cr, and others.

  • ‍Add beryllium with SciAps Z-901 LIBS, all in One Box.‍

Lead paint with no radioactive sources

First HUD-accepted XRF at three action levels: Download the PCS

Get the fastest and most accurate lead paint results, with no isotope replacement costs, isotope disposal costs, or regulatory and financial burden for owning and tracking radioactive materials. X-550 Pb with gold anode is for operators who want to perform soil testing, RoHS, or other environmental type applications.

  • ‍Fastest tests: Test in 2-6 seconds, and never lose speed over time.

  • Highest levels of accuracy: No substrate corrections, no inconclusive ranges or tests, even for action levels as low as 0.5 mg/cm² (Rh anode).

  • Two modes of operation: Quick Mode preferred for PCS types of testing, and Timed Mode for industrial lead paint testing.

Beryllium, and more

Beryllium is included in the EPA Priority Pollutant Metals, but portable XRF cannot measure elements lighter than magnesium in the field. For operators that require in-field Be analysis, SciAps offers a dedicated LIBS (laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy) analyzer, with a limit of detection of 5 ppm.

Alternatively, the three-spectrometer Z-903 LIBS can measure every element in the periodic table including other low atomic number elements Li, B, C, Na, F. One user is, in fact, using SciAps LIBS for hydrogen measurements.

  • ‍Testing times are 2-3 seconds.

  • Use factory calibrations, or Profile Builder software for user-based calibrations and complete test methods.

  • ‍Android operating system offers WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS, and supports AirWatch for use in secure locations.

A note on EPA Method SW-846 Test Method 6200: Field Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry for the Determination of Elemental Concentrations in Soil and Sediment

‍The 55 kV X-ray tube allows for extra low detection limits on key elements like Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb and Ba, making it especially well suited for RCRA applications and EPA Method 6200. The X-555 and other SciAps XRF analyzers meet the test method for both in-situ soil testing as well as bagged and prepared/cupped XRF samples. The method provides a standard operating procedure including analyzer calibration checks and sample preparation guidelines. Visit the EPA site to download the method.

A note on HUD “Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Housing”

SciAps X-550 Pb is the world’s only handheld XRF not using a radioactive isotope for residential lead paint detection accepted for use in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development “Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Housing,” 2012 Edition. The instrument’s HUD Performance Characteristics Sheet, based on tests of 146 real-world samples collected from around the country, demonstrates that the analyzer has “no inconclusive range.” This is a first for an X-ray tube-based lead paint analyzer. Read about how it works.

Environmental ONEBOX

This analyzer package combines the performance-leading X-555 and the dedicated Z-901 Beryllium for the 8 RCRA metals and 13 Priority Pollutant Metals. The pair provides optimal performance across all regulated metals with true field portability. Analyze soils, sediments, liquids, filter, and wipe media.

Enjoy the same Android platform, with the same accessories like batteries, cables, chargers. On-board software plus SciAps Cloud Services allows for seamless merging and reports.

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For users who want to test bagged samples, liquid samples, or prepare soil or sediments and place them into XRF cups for analysis, we recommend using the SciAps Test Station, a compact, robust platform with interlocked lid. The XRF points up into the stand, where the analyzer will not fire unless the lid is fully closed. When using the system in this fashion, X-ray radiation is not detectable above typical background rates, making this method a closed-beam system.

SciAps also offers the X-550 Series Kickstand for improved test management. The lightweight accessory holds the instrument in position during in situ analyses. The operator can set it in position, start the analysis, and go do other tasks while the data is collected. Available on-demand in a 3D printed manufacturing process.

What else? Lead in soils, alloys, mining, RoHS

Two types of anodes for more lead applications

The X-550 Pb is available with either a rhodium X-ray tube anode or gold X-ray tube anode, depending on complementary applications that the owner might want to add to the unit.

For customers who need to perform soil testing, RoHS, soil testing, or other environmental type applications, the gold anode will produce the best performance on elements such as cadmium, barium, tin, silver, and antimony. Customers will be able to add these capabilities to a lead paint unit.

The rhodium unit will be used by customers who also typically perform alloy testing or geochemistry applications.

X-550 Pb includes the Lead Paint App based on published PCS standard. Optional apps: Lead in Soil, Alloy, Geochem (Mining), Empirical, Environmental Metals. Coming soon: Lead in dust wipes and air filters (NIOSH 7702).

Other XRF Models

SciAps offers a range of price/performance options for XRF environmental analyzers.

For more industry-typical analysis of Cd, Ba, and the other metals noted above, the X-505 offers a less expensive high performance option. For users only interested in a few elements in soil, such as lead and arsenic, SciAps can configure the X-505 for single-beam, optimized analysis at greater savings.

Please contact us with your specific requirements.

Industrial Lead Paint App

Any of SciAps X-5 Series XRF units may optionally be equipped with Industrial Lead Paint app, a fast screening method for lead paint in industrial settings as part of OSHA compliance.

In low-contact areas where children will not be present, the primary concern is regulating airborne lead. In these areas, hXRF analyzers have long been used to produce a detect or non-detect reading for lead. In settings such as refineries, bridges, storage tanks, chemical plants, and cutting and maintenance work, OSHA requires assessment of how much lead dust a technician who is cutting up a pipe, for example, is putting into the air. If there’s no lead in the paint, there won’t be any airborne lead exposure; if they get a positive reading, the exact amount of lead present is used to determine the precautions required.