The difference between a dig in 2018 and one in 2024 is wild

I went back to a site I worked on near Santa Fe about six years ago and they've switched to handheld XRF scanners for soil analysis. We used to send samples to a lab and wait weeks. Has anyone else seen a big shift in field tech that fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

theas2814d ago

Handheld XRF scanners? That's insane.

hugotaylor14d ago

@theas28 They're not as crazy as they sound once you actually use one. You calibrate it with a known sample first, then it's pretty straightforward. I've used a few different models for checking metal composition on job sites, and they're solid if you know what you're reading. The trick is not to trust the first reading if the surface isn't clean, you gotta grind a spot or hit it with a wire brush. Also, they're useless on thin coatings or if the material is too light, like aluminum or plastic, so keep that in mind.

wren2307d agoMost Upvoted

Hang on, actually the aluminum thing isn't quite right. I mean, you're mostly right about the surface prep and calibration, that's solid advice. But handheld XRFs actually work fine on aluminum alloys, I've used one to sort 6061 from 7075 scrap all the time. They struggle more with elements below magnesium on the periodic table, so really light stuff like carbon fiber or boron, but aluminum itself is no problem. The real quirk is that the reading can drift if the detector gets too hot, especially if you're out in the sun for a while, gotta let it cool down sometimes.