X-300 Electric Fluxer

The X-300 fusion fluxer: Introduction 

The Katanax^® X-300 fluxer is a key part of our new offering in next-generation electric fusion, providing exceptional flexibility for outstanding ease of use and unparalled results.

This multi-sample fluxer is available in 1, 2 or 3 positions, and can later be expanded, thus adapting to the needs of today’s modern laboratories.

The X-300 fluxer is the new reference for electric fusion in today’s complex, busy lab environment.

Thanks to a clever electric furnace design, this unit can be ordered as a 1, 2 or 3 position fluxer, which can be expanded up to 3 positions at a later time, in the field. Indeed, everything is pre-wired for 3 positions, so increasing capacity is just a matter of adding mechanical components and re-configuring the furnace insulation walls. Borrowing the robust concept of its bigger brother (the six-position X-600), the X-300 also boasts revolutionary heating elements that are resistant to flux and chemical attacks. Heating elements can be changed individually, and will not become brittle.

The furnace heats up to the required temperature in less than 15 minutes in the morning, and will then remain ready for quick startup of a new batch of XRF beads or ICP solutions (with optional solution stirrer module). Automatic active power monitoring in the furnace achieves extraordinary temperature stability from one run to the next, and across all crucibles in the furnace.

The X-300 is pre-loaded with various fusion methods that can be used as is, or can be customized. All fusion methods can be saved, renamed, deleted or copied, just like computer files. Only the preset methods are protected to avoid accidental overwriting.

Upon turning the instrument on, the furnace door opens, the platinumware holders move forward and out of the furnace, and the door closes.

Up to three (3) platinum crucibles are loaded with a few grams of powdered sample, an appropriate flux and often other agents. The crucibles are inserted into the crucible holder.

Platinum molds are then installed onto the mold holder, and the safety shield can be closed. Since the platinumware holders are made of ceramics, there is no risk of contamination during the fusion.

When the user instructs the X-300 to launch the actual fusion, the safety shield locks, and then the oven door automatically opens, the platinumware holders enter the oven, the door closes and all heating steps are automatically started in sequence. Temperature is constantly monitored and displayed. An ambient LED lighting system switches to the color red.

The side-to-side rocking of the crucible holder continuously mixes the flux with the sample.

When the flux melts, it starts dissolving the sample. When all sample is dissolved, the oven door opens, the platinumware holders move forward and, during the time the door closes, the crucibles are tilted to the right to empty their contents into the molds.

Blowers located underneath cool the molds, while the oven remains powered, to gain time in the next cycle. When the molds are completely cooled, the ambient LED lighting system changes from red to blue, and the user is informed that he or she can now pick up perfectly homogenous glass beads, ready for analysis by XRF.

For solution preparation, the hot melt is poured into unbreakable beakers (instead of molds), which contains an acid stirred by an optional magnetic system.

Special features

• Expandability
  • Available pre-configured as a 1, 2 or 3 position unit
  • Upgradeable by customers in their own labs
  • Adapts laboratories’ changing needs
• Innovative heating elements
  • Impervious to flux and other chemical projections
  • Robust and non-brittle (instrument can be moved without element damage)
  • Cartridge type for easy replacement
  • Can be changed individually, with minimal interruption
• Advanced furnace
  • Dynamic Temperature Profile (DTP) to ensure uniform temperature (patent pending)
  • Individual element automatic power compensation (patent pending)
  • Fast heat-up (<15 minutes)
  • Strict use of ceramic eliminates metal contamination
• Other
  • Industrial PLC interface (does not depend on Windows updates)
  • Requires no external supplies (no power supply box, no cooling fluids)
  • Single-phase power (no need for 3-phase)
  • Tiltable interface screen for various user heights
  • Ambient status light (red when processing, blue when completed)

Reliability

• Built with the most demanding lab in mind
• Heating elements impervious to flux and chemical projections
• Robust, all-ceramic platinumware holders
• Industrial-grade motors and electronics
• Shares several components with the heavy-duty X-600

High-throughput

• Simultaneous processing of up to three (3) samples
• Can prepare glass disks (beads) for XRF, or solutions for ICP, including preparations in peroxide or pyrosulfate
• Throughput of up to 15 samples/hour
• Fast initial heat-up time of under 15 minutes
• Productivity is improved by a user-adjustable holding temperature. Therefore, the temperature between fusions can be maintained to minimize initial ramping time

Safety

• No gases used, so no post-combustion toxic products released
• Minimal heat dissipation; only a standard vent hood is required
• Integrated, auto-locking protection shield with safety glass viewport

Accuracy

• Extra-precise temperature control achieved by Dynamic Temperature Profiling (DTP) and automatic individual element power compensation (patents pending).
• Entirely automated, cold-to-cold
• Fully reproducible fusion methods
• Outstanding reproducibility: all crucibles and molds are at the same temperature
• Real-time temperature display
• Optimum pouring conditions, since the molds are in the furnace with the crucibles

Versatility

• Makes glass disks for XRF
• Can also make solutions (including peroxide or pyrosulfate fusions without modification)
  • Optional variable-speed embedded solutions stirrer available
  • Prepares up to three (3) solutions for ICP or AA
  • Switching from disk to solution mode is quick and easy
• Ready to fuse with built-in methods for oxides, minerals, metals, alloys, sulfides, fluorides and more
• Can perform solid or liquid oxidations
• Fully customizable fusion methods

Simplicity

• An expandable, intelligent, advanced furnace
• Easy installation
• Intuitive graphical interface with multiple languages
• Easy icon touch-screen navigation
• Virtually maintenance-free; easy component access

Installation

Installation is fairly simple, just like another lab furnace:

1. Run a 220 VAC wire from the 15A breaker box to the installation site. (You might well have such an outlet already installed.)
2. Connect instrument to this standard wall outlet and turn on.
3. Enjoy !

What is in the X-300 box

• 1 fluxer (X-300 main unit)
• 1 tool kit (hex keys, spare fuses…)
• 1 instruction manual
• 1 USB memory stick (for firmware upgrades and program backups)

X-300 Brochure