On Mon, 07 Apr 2008 05:47:06 -0700, stans4 wrote:
On Apr 6, 6:21Â*pm, "Michael Koblic" wrote:
...
I was fascinated to read in another thread about machinery which can
analyze metal composition by "shooting it" - whatever that means? Does
anyone know how this works?
....
Probably a spark spectrometer. This used to be a really large chunk of
equipment, they've got it down to something that's wheelable now. Google
on "portable spark spectrometer". Uses an electrical spark against the
test material to obtain a spectrum, a photosensor reads it,
microcomputing does the rest. It's replaced wet methods of analysis in
foundries and would be really handy for junkyards if they weren't so
expensive. I keep hoping to find a pocket-size model...

http://www.directindustry.com/indust...zer-65505.html
shows a bunch of hand-held spectrometers. Third entry in list (Thermo
Scientific) has links to a smaller-than-usual x-ray fluorescence analyzer,
Thermo Scientific XLi. Pocket size, but a little heavy at 0.8 kg.