A practical guide to

improving metal and

alloy sorting for scrap
metal recyclers

Includes 7 best practices

Table of contents
Overview
Overview................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Accurate sorting can bring surprises…. and revenue ............................................................................................................................ 4
Know the value of your electronic waste and precious metals ............................................................................................................... 5
Protecting brand and bottom line........................................................................................................................................................... 6
Scrap recyclers need to supply the aluminum industry with clean scrap to meet regulations ................................................................ 7

Equipment
Products............................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
What to look for in an XRF analyzer ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
Radiation measurement and security instruments ..................................................................................................................................11
Handheld radiation detection devices..................................................................................................................................................... 12

Best Practices
Grind it clean ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 14
Take layers of metal apart...................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Grind it to a powder ...............................................................................................................................................................................16
Take longer measurements to distinguish between close alloys............................................................................................................. 17
Be careful of the fragile XRF window...................................................................................................................................................... 18
Take radiation safety training.................................................................................................................................................................. 19
Keep your facility and your products safe from radiation ....................................................................................................................... 20

Technology
What is XRF? ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
List of periodic table elements ............................................................................................................................................................. 23
Handheld XRF instrument .................................................................................................................................................................... 24
What is LIBS? ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
The LIBS analysis process ................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Experience with handheld XRF ............................................................................................................................................................27
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Overview Scrap metal recycling has become big business, but globalized trade in
scrap metal, alloy stock and finished products has increased the costs of
The importance of accurate alloy mix-ups for suppliers, distributors and industrial consumers.

alloy analysis The exact chemical composition of scrap, including the existence of
contaminants or hazardous elements, must be determined for quality,
XRF analysis for scrap sorting can safety and regulatory compliance.
help upgrade stock, increase inventory value,
Scrap metal recyclers use handheld XRF to rapidly identify and accurately
and provide a higher quality of product to
sort any type of metals and alloys at material transfer points and guarantee
customers. the quality of the batch delivered to their customers.

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3
Accurate sorting can bring surprises…. and revenue
Handheld XRF analyzers can verify elements of
“What we thought interest in virtually all types of metal alloys, from
trace levels to commercially pure metals, and are
was 304 Stainless capable of distinguishing alloy grades that are
turned out to be nearly identical in composition to one another.

Inco 750 – Huge

difference in price.”

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Know the value of your electronic waste and precious metals
One metric ton of circuit boards can contain 40 to 800 times the amount of gold and
30 to 40 times the amount of copper mined from one metric ton of ore in the US.
(source: Materials, EISSN 1996-1944, Published by MDPI)

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) can be found in wastes from mobile phones,
televisions, computers, and cameras, as well as high-power magnets, fluorescent
lamps, catalytic converters and metal alloys.

Recycling facilities can recover 35,000 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver,
75 pounds of gold, and 33 pounds of palladium for every one million cell phones
(source: USGS)

Pure gold is usually alloyed with other metals,

such as silver, copper, platinum or palladium,
to increase its strength before being made
into jewelry, decorative items, electronics,
dental fillings and coins – which could end
up at your recycling facility.

After you sort out your precious metals from

the scrap, you will know the gold purity from
your analysis, and can calculate the value
before sending it to the refiner.

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Protecting brand and bottom line
Accurate sorting affects manufacturing
finished products
Many varieties of metal, including high temperature alloys, are
entering scrap yards, often from unknown sources or with
mislabeled or misidentified documentation about the origin and
composition. Since manufacturers are increasingly using recycled
materials in their fabrication processes, the material integrity of the
finished product could be compromised.

Accurate sorting and metal identification is paramount to the safety

of the consumer, as well as your ability to satisfy your customer.

The industry can no longer rely on the ‘old

ways’ of verification by using a grinding wheel “Sorting is very important
because we need to
to conduct spark tests or chemical tests
guarantee that the material
that also require the storage and handling of
we are shipping to consumers
hazardous materials. Those tests are simply is what we say it is….If it
not as accurate or as reliable as the latest XRF isn’t, the mill or foundry we’re
technology; and customers will no longer shipping to could reject the
accept shipments that “may or may not meet” load or downgrade it, and that
their specifications. would hurt our reputation—
and our bottom line.”

Recycling Magazine, quoting

the owner of a Massachusetts-
based salvage yard

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Scrap recyclers need to supply the aluminum industry with
clean scrap to meet regulations
Aluminum from scrap yields an The production of secondary aluminum allows businesses to comply
with environmental regulations, such as REACH and LEED, without
energy and green-house emissions any loss of quality. However, the addition of scrap into the aluminum
savings of 95% production line is a major challenge for the industry. Compared to
the clean, neatly-packaged, and well-defined alumina raw material
to which manufacturers are accustomed, post-consumer scrap is
composed of a mixture of wrought and casting grades.

With end-product quality, process integrity, safety, and regulatory

compliance at risk, accurate knowledge of the grade and
composition of the scrap material being introduced into the
process is a necessity. To help ensure product integrity, scrap metal
operations rely on handheld XRF analyzers for accurate, reliable
material identification.

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Equipment

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Products

Thermo Scientific™ Thermo Scientific™ Thermo Scientific™ASM™

Niton™ XL5 Plus Handheld Niton™ Apollo™ Handheld IV Series Automatic Scrap
XRF Analyzer LIBS Analyzer Monitoring System
Confidently perform elemental analysis, When carbon detection and mobility Radiation detection portals & monitors Detect
including lightweight elements. Identify are needed in addition to standard illicit nuclear materials inside packages
pure metals and alloys, and detect elemental analysis, scrap metal or cargo at airports, seaports, borders,
tramp elements. Thermo Scientific XL2 recyclers use the Niton Apollo for government buildings, food storage and
100G, XL2 Plus and XL5 handheld XRF superior performance and enhanced handling facilities, transportation stations,
analyzers are great technologies to productivity. Identify low alloy/ carbon couriers and freight companies with radiation
analyze metal scrap. steels and L and H grade steels. monitoring devices.

Product Details > Product Details > Product Details >

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What to look for in an XRF analyzer
Alloy analyzer expectations of today’s recycler
Minimum requirements:

• Accurate, robust chemistries for many thousands of alloys

• Expert concierge support and training

• Fast, high confidence ID’s for most common alloys

• Environmentally sealed and hardened for harsh conditions

• Detector protection grids and clip-on engine guard

• Ability to detect and flag tramp elements

• Point-and-shoot ease of use

• Good training and support

• Single piece, light, ergonomic, balanced, handheld unit under 4lbs

• High power, lightweight, Li ion batteries that last for 6+ hours

• Minimum two 4-hour batteries to supply 8-hour operation

Watch this video for evidence of the

fast and accurate XRF analysis with the
Thermo Scientific™ Niton™ XL2 Plus
handheld XRF analyzer.

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Radiation measurement and security instruments
The Thermo Scientific™ ASM-IV automatic scrap monitoring system is
a configurable platform to prevent radioactive materials from entering
scrap metal and metal processing workflow resulting in expensive plant
decontamination and shutdown.
Offering unparalleled sensitivity and reliability, the Upgrade!
ASM-IV system provides the perfect solution for
portal monitoring applications that require the lowest Current ASM II/III/SE users can
possible alarm thresholds. easily upgrade to a new ASM
IV Automatic Scrap Monitoring
• Monitor and prevent workflow contamination system.
• Prevent expensive costs of radiation cleanup Kits are available and the process
• Quickly identify orphaned sources is easy. Get all the benefits of the
• Remote monitoring of system health to maximize uptime ASM IV system!
• Daily scan event tracking and monthly reporting

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Handheld radiation detection devices
Thermo Scientific™ RadEye™ PRD4
• Spectroscopic personal radiation detector • 150 hours from 2 AAA batteries
• RIID Capability in the palm of your hand • Phone app available with real time indications on multiple
• Compact, rugged and reliable connected phones
• Worn on belt for constant monitoring • Quickly share time indications on a smart phone or tablet

Radeye User App

• Works on IOS and Android phones and tablets
• Requires RadEye Bluetooth battery back
• Simple Interface for most customers looking to capture, log,
and send instrument readings to a third-party user.
• Visual and audible alarms
• Email specific files (including spectra files on the SPRDs)
• Integrates with RadResponder and Third Party Applications

RadEye PRD4 kit

Lu test kit adaptor for performance
checking, cable and docking stating
for detailed analysis of data on a PC.

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Best practices

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1 Grind it clean

Coatings/ Residual paint Corrosion & Scale Interfering Metallic dust

platings oxide layer (rust) materials
Watch for Ni Paint will interfere Grind it clean to Surface scale Find clean Dust that covers
coated Fe! The with chemistry – the underlying can give errors in surface or the surface
XRF may call this can misidentify metal. chemistry remove interfering interferes with the
pure Ni if coating alloy materials analysis
is not removed!

Example: Example: Example: Example: Example: Example:

Refinery Painted Metals that Cast grill lids Frames stuck Welding fumes,
reaction vessel aluminum have been – 384, furnace with rubber and grinder residue
extrusion sitting out in the pipes caulking, tank
window frames elements with sediment
– 6063

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2 Take layers of metal apart

Entrapped lead Copper-bearing electronics

Analyze each layer separately Disassemble first

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3 Grind it to a powder
The amounts of recoverable Pt, Pd, and Rh in each catalytic converter can range from 1-2 grams for a small car to
12-15 grams for a big truck in the US. To avoid considerable financial losses, there is a definite advantage in having the
ability to determine quickly and accurately the contents of Pt, Pd, and Rh in spent catalytic converters at the collector’s
site or in the refineries.

TIP for analysis: Pulverize material

to a maximum 250µm and load in XRF
sample cups or sample bags for analysis.

https://tools.thermofisher.com/content/sfs/brochures/AutoCatalyticConverter-AppNote.pdf
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4 Take longer measurements to
distinguish between close alloys
Two or more similar results
Alloys with very close specifications may both be
displayed as a close match
- Degree of similarity indicated by same, or very close
match number
• Clean off corrosion, surface coating
• If sample is undersize (does not cover aperture)
e.g., single wire strand, small part With all handheld alloy analyzers close
- A longer reading (5 - 10s) may provide the alloys may be displayed with a very similar
precision necessary to separate in some cases quality of match number or even the exact
same quality of match number. This is due
to the very similar alloying composition
and may or may not be a concern for
most facilities that sort into categories,
like 18-8 Cr-Ni stainless steel as opposed
Trade Ti Ti Cr Cr Fe Fe Co Co Mo Mo to a finer sort into 304 vs 321 stainless
Name Min Max Min Max Min max Min Max Min Max steel. However, the most stringent sorting
Hast C4 0.3 0.7 14 18 0 3 0 2 14 17 requirements may demand that the user
attempt to resolve close calls. In such
Hast S - - 14.5 17 0 3 0 2 14 16.5 cases cleaning the surface, taking more
or longer measurements, obtaining a
larger sample (wires, turnings) or sending
to a lab may all be strategies that help.

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5 Be careful of the fragile XRF window
One source of possible error in use of these analyzers is the extreme range of sizes
and shapes that the analyzers have to deal with. Suppliers have gone to great lengths
to make these analyzers as robust as possible in dealing with this issue. Examples of
difficult shapes are wires, turnings, mesh, screening and powders.

Handheld X-ray fluorescence (HHXRF) has evolved the most robust solutions in this
regard, including detector protection grids and clip-on engine guard, although mistakes
can still be made if the sources of error are not considered. Small turnings have been
one of the most frustrating for many HHXRF users as the sharp edges have broken
many fragile XRF windows resulting in costly repair bills. Powders can cling to the
measuring window and add to subsequent readings. Even welding fumes can settle
out on the window and add false metal concentration readings.

LIBS avoids most of these issues by eliminating the need for a fragile window. LIBS
however, cannot measure from any standoff position whereas XRF can test from a few
millimeters from the surface of the sample with only some data quality loss.

Sharp Edges Powders Fumes

Turnings with sharp edges

Powders can cling to the Welding fumes can settle out
have broken many fragile
measuring window and add on the window and add false
XRF windows resulting in
to subsequent readings. metal concentration readings.
costly repair bills.

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6 Take radiation safety training
Radiation
The analyzer emits a directed radiation beam when the tube is energized (tube
based instrument) or when the shutter is open (isotope based instrument).
Reasonable effort should be made to maintain exposures to radiation as far below
dose limits as is practical. This is known as the ALARA (As Low as Reasonably
Achievable) principle. For any given source of radiation, three factors will help
minimize your radiation exposure:

Time Distance Shielding

Did you know?

While the radiation emitted from a portable XRF
analyzer is similar to the exposure received in a
normal medical or dental X-ray, care must be taken
to always point a handheld XRF analyzer directly at
the sample and never at a person or a body part.

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10

7 Keep your facility and 2

1

your products safe 3

from radiation
4
Undesirable radioactive sources (from old 3
8 7
medical equipment, density gauges, etc.) can
frequently show up at metal processing facilities, 6
threatening the safety of employees, products,
and resulting in expensive plant decontamination
and shut down. Multiple points of inspection are 1 9
5
necessary in the workflow to ensure processed 1
materials are free from radioactive sources

10
Truck and Railcar Monitoring Use Radiation Portal Monitoring systems for truck and
1 railcar monitoring. ASM IV Series

Conveyor, Platform Scales or Dust Collection Ensure process monitoring systems are
1 2 SGSI-GSE
2 Vehicle Monitoring Use a ruggedized, wireless grapple-mounted radiation detection
3 system. RadEye GR
3 Worker Safety
4 RIIDEyeX

Combination Detection
4 5 and gamma performance capability. RadEye SPRD
3
8 7
Download the infographic:
Search and Find Applications Portable Personal Radiation Detectors provide sensitive
6 and fast detection of gamma radiation with accurate dose rate measurements. RadEye PRD
6
Gamma Neutron Paging Use a monitor that combines gamma sensitivity and energy compensated
7

10 areas metal processors require radiation detection

dose rate measurement with separate, high sensitivity neutron response and alarm threshold. RadEye NBR

1 9 Utilize the most sensitive handheld instruments that feature

5 8 RadEye Safety kit
1
Documentation Utilize software for documenting scans performed. Viewpoint Enterprise
9
Contamination Level Determination Use portable steel sample counting system to
10

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Truck and Railcar Monitoring Use Radiation Portal Monitoring systems for truck and
1 railcar monitoring. ASM IV Series

Conveyor, Platform Scales or Dust Collection Ensure process monitoring systems are
2 SGSI-GSE

Vehicle Monitoring Use a ruggedized, wireless grapple-mounted radiation detection

3 system. RadEye GR

Worker Safety
4 RIIDEyeX

Combination Detection
5 and gamma performance capability. RadEye SPRD

Search and Find Applications Portable Personal Radiation Detectors provide sensitive
6 and fast detection of gamma radiation with accurate dose rate measurements. RadEye PRD

Gamma Neutron Paging Use a monitor that combines gamma sensitivity and energy compensated
7 dose rate measurement with separate, high sensitivity neutron response and alarm threshold. RadEye NBR

Utilize the most sensitive handheld instruments that feature

8 RadEye Safety kit

Documentation Utilize software for documenting scans performed. Viewpoint Enterprise

9
Contamination Level Determination Use portable steel sample counting system to
10

Technology

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What is XRF? The X-ray fluorescence process

X-ray fluorescence (XRF): a non-

destructive analytical technique
used to determine the chemical
composition of materials

Fingerprints
A solid or a liquid sample is irradiated with high energy X-rays from a
Each of the elements present in a sample 1 controlled X-ray tube.
produces a unique set of characteristic X-rays
that is a “fingerprint” for that specific element. When an atom in the sample is struck with an X-ray of sufficient energy
2 (greater than the atom’s K or L shell binding energy), an electron from one
of the atom’s inner orbital shells is dislodged.
The atom regains stability, filling the vacancy left in the inner orbital shell
3 with an electron from one of the atom’s higher energy orbital shells.

The electron drops to the lower energy state by releasing a fluorescent

4 X-ray. The energy of this X-ray is equal to the specific difference in energy
Download the eBook between two quantum states of the electron. The measurement of this
energy is the basis of XRF analysis.

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List of periodic table elements

1 Hydrogen H 21 Scandium Sc 41 Niobium Nb 61 Promethium Pm 81 Thallium Tl 101 Mendelevium

2 Helium He 22 Titanium Ti 42 Molybdenum Mo 62 Samarium Sm 82 Lead Pb 102 Nobelium

3 Lithium Li 23 Vanadium V 43 Technetium Tc 63 Europium Eu 83 Bismuth Bi 103 Lawrencium

4 Beryllium Be 24 Chromium Cr 44 Ruthenium Ru 64 Gadolinium Gd 84 Polonium Po 104 Rutherfordium

5 Boron B 25 Manganese Mn 45 Rhodium Rh 65 Terbium Tb 85 Astatine At 105 Dubnium

6 Carbon C 26 Iron Fe 46 Palladium Pd 66 Dysprosium Dy 86 Radon Rn 106 Seaborgium

7 Nitrogen N 27 Cobalt Co 47 Silver Ag 67 Holmium Ho 87 Francium Fr 107 Bohrium

8 Oxygen O 28 Nickel Ni 48 Cadmium Cd 68 Erbium Er 88 Radium Ra 108 Hassium

9 Fluorine F 29 Copper Cu 49 Indium In 69 Thulium Tm 89 Actinium Ac 109 Meitnerium

10 Neon Ne 30 Zinc Zn 50 Tin Sn 70 Ytterbium Yb 90 Thorium Th 110 Darmstadtium

11 Sodium Na 31 Gallium Ga 51 Antimony Sb 71 Lutetium Lu 91 Protactinium Pa 111 Roentgenium

12 Magnesium Mg 32 Germanium Ge 52 Tellurium Te 72 Hafnium Hf 92 Uranium U 112 Copernicium

13 Aluminum Al 33 Arsenic As 53 Iodine I 73 Tantalum Ta 93 Neptunium Np 113 Ununtrium

14 Silicon Si 34 Selenium Se 54 Xenon Xe 74 Tungsten W 94 Plutonium Pu 114 Flerovium

15 Phosphorus P 35 Bromine Br 55 Cesium Cs 75 Rhenium Re 95 Americium Am 115 Ununpentium

16 Sulfur S 36 Krypton Kr 56 Barium Ba 76 Osmium Os 96 Curium Cm 116 Livermorium

17 Chlorine Cl 37 Rubidium Rb 57 Lanthanum La 77 Iridium Ir 97 Berkelium Bk

18 Argon Ar 38 Strontium Sr 58 Cerium Ce 78 Platinum Pt 98 Californium Cf

19 Potassium K 39 Yttrium Y 59 Praseodymium Pr 79 Gold Au 99 Einsteinium Es

20 Calcium Ca 40 Zirconium Zr 60 Neodymium Nd 80 Mercury Hg 100 Fermium Fm

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ageHandheld XRFHandheld
16 of ebook: instrument
XRF Instrument
Working principle
rinciple
1 A sample is irradiated with high energy
X-rays from a controlled X-ray tube.
The energy causes inner-shell electrons
to be ejected. Outer-shell electrons fill the
irradiated with high energy X-rays from a
vacancies and fluorescent x-rays are emitted.
X-ray tube. The energy causes inner-shell
be ejected. Outer-shell electrons
The fluorescent fill the
x-rays enter the

2
nd fluorescentdetector
x-rays and
aresend
emitted.
electronic pulses
to the preamp. The preamp amplifies the
cent x-rays enter
signalsthe detector
and sends them toand send
the Digital Signal
ulses to the preamp. Theto preamp
Processor (DSP) amplifies
collect and digitize the
nd sends them x-ray
to events into channels
the Digital Signalof energy. Next,
Processor
the “counts” for each channel (spectral data)
ect and digitize the x-ray events into channels
is then sent to the main CPU for processing.
ext, the “counts” for each channel (spectral
sent to the main CPU
Using for processing.
algorithms, the central processing

ithms, 3
unit (CPU) analyzes the spectral data
the central processing unit (CPU)
and determines the concentration of
e spectral data and
each determines
element the
present. Composition data
and identified alloy grade are displayed in real
on of each element present. Composition
time and stored via memory for later recall or
ntified alloy grade are displayed in real time
download to an external PC.
ia memory for later recall or download to an

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What is LIBS?
Overview
Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is the
analytical technique using a high-focused laser to determine
the chemical composition of materials. LIBS has been around
for many years and is a technique used primarily in laboratory
equipment. With recent advances in technology, the
technique has now been developed into a portable handheld
analyzer capable of measuring elements, including carbon, in
the field for material identification.

Download the eBook

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25
The LIBS analysis
The LIBS analysis process
process
The LIBS technique utilizes a high-focused laser that interacts with the surface of a material and
Theforms
LIBSatechnique
plasma in whichutilizes
theamaterial
high-focused
is brokenlaser
downthat interacts
into single with the surface
elements.
of a1.material and forms a plasma in which the material is broken down into single
A laser pulse is produced by the analyzer and pointed at the sample surface.
elements.
2. The surface is ablated and enters the plasma. The plasma atomizes the samples, and the excited atoms emit light as
Athey
laser return
pulse istoproduced
ground by the analyzer and pointed at the sample surface.
1 state.
3. The
Thesurface
emitted light isand
is ablated transferred through
forms a plasma. fiber
The optics
plasma and enters
atomizes the spectrometer
and excites throughina slit.
the elements contained
2 the sample, emitting light as they return to ground state.
4. The light interacts with a diffraction grating where it is split into single wavelengths/ colors.
The
Theemitted
singlelight is transferredcolors
throughhitfiber
theop-
3 5. tics wavelengths/
and enters the spectrometer through a slit.

D
detector and produce spectral data. Fiber optic

et
La

ec
se

to
The light interacts with a diffraction grating
4 6. where
The central processing unit (CPU)

r
it is split into single wavelengths/ colors. r
analyzes the spectral data and
The single wavelengths/
determines colors hit the
the concentration of detector
each
5 and produce spectral data. Diffraction
element present in the sample. grating
The central processing unit (CPU) analyzes Focusing
Composition
6 7. spectral data and identified alloythe lens
data and determines the concentration
grade are displayed and stored via Collection
of each element present in the sample. optics
memory for later recall or download to
Composition
an externaldata
PC.and identified alloy grade are
7 displayed and stored via memory for later recall Sample
Data output
or download to an external PC.

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thermofisher.com/libstechnology Share this eBook 6
Experience with handheld XRF
How Rocky Mountain Recycling utilizes handheld XRF to sort, verify, and upgrade
scrap metal

Watch this customer experience

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