In response to the EU directives for end-of-life vehicles and also for waste electrical and electronic equipment, which are to be made into federal law in the EU member states within 18 months after their publication (expected in first quarter of 2003), SPECTRO has developed a solution for heavy-metal analysis. The energy-dispersive XRF system SPECTRO XEPOS is designed to determine cadmium, lead, mercury, and chromium at the limits set for ELV and at the still-to-be-set limits for WEEE. The achieved average detection limit for Cd for measurements of granulated plastic polymers is 8 ppm. Thus XEPOS can measure comfortably below the limit (100 ppm) set by the ELV directive. Limits can also be optimally monitored for lead, mercury, and chromium. Thanks to the SPECTRO proprietary polarisation technology, the limits of detection for individual elements are improved by a factor of 4-7 versus conventional ED-XRF spectrometres.
