Terephthalic acid (TPA) and purified terephthalic acid (PTA) are precursors in the making of polyester PET for polyester films, bottle resin, textile fabrics, and specialty chemicals. During production and use of TPA and PTA, the catalysts Co, Br and Mn must be closely monitored to ensure optimum product quality. Rigaku EDXRF Application Note #1539 describes the analysis of concentrations of Co, Br and Mn in TPA and PTA solutions and highlights the performance of the Rigaku NEX OL on-line EDXRF process analyzer.
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.
Atomic Perspectives: Highlights from Recent Columns
March 3rd 2025“Atomic Perspectives,” provides tutorials and updates on new analytical atomic spectroscopy techniques in a broad range of applications, including environmental analysis, food and beverage analysis, and space exploration, to name a few. Here, we present a compilation of some of the most popular columns.