Faster ashing for the laboratory with up to 95% time

Traditional ashing methods for many sample types have used electrical muffle furnaces that have disadvantages such as long ashing times, extended cooling, and high power consumption. An alternative and rapid ashing method using a Milestone PYRO enhanced microwave system is available from Analytix where ashing times can be reduced by up to 95% from hours to minutes using standard crucibles.

High throughput ashing systems

The Milestone high throughput system is suitable for conventional ashing, loss on ignition (LOI), residue on ignition (ROI), fusion and all high-temperature reactions under controlled conditions. Providing identical ashing results compared to conventional techniques, the system has much lower operating costs compared to conventional muffle ovens with the advantage of time savings.

Benefits include an integral exhaust system with no loss of heat to the laboratory plus odours are removed by an exhaust thereby eliminating exposure to the operator to fumes. Optimum temperature homogeneity across the muffle is achieved through a microwave stirrer that eliminates cold spots and ensures reproducible ashing across all crucibles.

The high throughput muffle accommodates up to 24 Milestone quartz fibre crucibles, the system is compliant to ASTM, USP, SEMI, and ISO and is controlled via an easy to program terminal with touch screen user interface with data storage.

Sulphated ashing systems

Sulphated ashing is a method performed in many laboratories across multiple industries. The traditional approach is a lengthy, time consuming, manually intense process that risks exposure of analysts to hot sulphuric acid and associated vapours.

A more modern and user-friendly method can be performed using a Milestone PYRO SA sulphated ashing system. With the dedicated sulphated ashing configuration the whole analysis time can be reduced to one hour that saves valuable laboratory time.

The sample is weighed into the crucible, sulphuric acid added and placed into the PYRO SA furnace that performs an automated charring step during which time corrosive acid vapours are safely vented, trapped and neutralised in the dedicated acid scrubber before ashing the sample at the final temperature.

Ultrafast heating ashing systems

The Milestone UltraFAST heating setup enables a typical ashing temperature of 800oC to be reached within five minutes – or 1200^oC in ten minutes. PVC, for example, can be ashed at 900^oC in just 15 minutes.

The UltraFAST muffle holds five crucibles and can be installed not only in the PYRO ashing system but in any of the new generation Milestone Ethos digestion and Ethos extraction systems making it perfect for laboratories with an additional ashing requirement to present digestion or extraction procedures and have a small number of samples or require very fast heating to ashing temperatures. A circular heating element for each crucible ensures perfect temperature uniformity throughout the cavity and across each sample, largely exceeding requirements of ASTM, USP, SEMI and ISO standard methods.

An inert gas option for the UltraFAST muffle is additionally available that enables heating of catalysts to a high temperature in an inert atmosphere for reaction studies.

Flexible ashing crucible options

The PYRO system can be used with any type of conventional crucible. For faster ashing and cooling, the Milestone UltraFAST crucibles can be used. They are made of an innovative chemically and thermally resistant material allowing the samples to be surrounded by a constant airflow that accelerates the ashing process and further reduces ashing times. Furthermore, the cooling time of the crucibles is so short that there is no need to use a desiccator prior to weighing. The crucibles cool from 1000^oC to room temperature in under 30 seconds and are suitable for the ashing of any solid sample such as polymers, pharmaceuticals, food and feed, cokes, and coals.

If you are looking to speed up your ashing process, please contact us.