Conventional ovens and muffle furnaces are used daily in hundreds of laboratories for many different applications such as ashing, sulphated ashing, loss on ignition (LOI), residue on ignition (ROI), fusion and all high-temperature reactions under controlled conditions.
Many applications using traditional approaches involve a lengthy, time consuming, manual intense process that can also risk exposure of analysts to potentially dangerous vapours.
A different approach is to use a microwave furnace system such as the Milestone PYRO ashing system from Analytix that can be used for exactly the same applications but with significant advantages over conventional systems. With a choice of three muffle types, ashing times can be reduced by up to 95% from hours to minutes using standard crucibles.
The complete ashing process can be improved by using specially developed quartz fibre fast heating/cooling crucibles that further reduce cooling times.
Additional benefits include an integral exhaust system with no loss of heat to the laboratory plus odours are removed thereby eliminating exposure to the operator to fumes. Even temperature distribution across the muffle eliminates cold spots and ensures reproducible ashing across all crucibles.
A different approach is to use a microwave furnace system such as the Milestone PYRO ashing system from Analytix that can be used for exactly the same applications but with significant advantages over conventional systems
An application report highlighting the advantages of a microwave enhanced ashing system is available from Analytix that demonstrates the recoveries of a certified food standard material being in compliance with the certificate value plus the reproducibility of the method due to temperature homogeneity across the muffle. In addition, the speed advantages are also highlighted due to the accelerated ashing from a constant airflow across all samples, a one-step method, and the cooling of the crucibles post processing from 1,000°C to room temperature in under 30 seconds using the Milestone ultrafast crucibles.
All Milestone microwave systems are compliant to ASTM, USP, SEMI and ISO and are controlled via a full-colour touchscreen interface. The enhanced systems offer full data storage and transfer to laboratory LIMS systems.
For a copy of the application report or for further information, call +44 (0) 191 519 4504 or click here.
