CRONO

Mobile Large Area Micro-XRF Spectrometer

Designed for in-situ, non-destructive and very fast examination of large objects

CRONO is a mobile and reconfigurable fast micro-XRF scanner for cultural heritage applications. The XRF components are fully integrated into a compact measurement head and allow the detection of elements in the range from Na to U with good efficiency even in the energy regions below 2 keV and above 25 keV (e.g. Sn, Sb, and Ba K-edge emissions).

The measurement head is mounted on a motorized stage that enables a scanning area of up to 60 cm x 45 cm. The motorized frame and the support unit can be easily dismounted for transportation. CRONO can be turned into a portable spot XRF device by installing the measurement head on a light tripod.

The instrument works in a complete non-contact mode with an optimum focus distance of 5 – 7 mm from the sample. The analysis area is always under control thanks to several monitoring systems.

Manufacturer

Bruker

Mobile Large Area Micro-XRF Spectrometer

The core of the CRONO instrument is the measurement head (28 cm x 15 cm x 15 cm, 3 kg) and its large area silicon drift detector (SDD). CRONO benefits from two flagship technologies. CUBE is a CMOS preamplifier that enables high-speed acquisition with best spectral quality. The digital pulse processor DANTE provides extremely fast on-the-fly scanning of the samples.

The excitation source is a highly efficient and compact X-ray generator with Rh anode. Three software selectable collimators (0.5 mm, 1 mm and 2 mm diameter) enable different spot sizes on the sample. A filter set containing four software selectable filters is also integrated in the measurement head to improve low detection limit capability in special applications.

The CRONO’s software allows complete instrument control and monitoring from one interface, which shows spectra and maps even while acquisition is running. A spectrum is stored for every pixel. The intuitive report tool automatically generates a report of a single measurement or a project in pdf format.

The measurement head can be mounted on a trolley that allows tilting the frame between -20° and +90°, with respect to the horizontal plane. The motorized frame and the trolley can be easily dismantled for transportation. Moreover, whenever a mapping is not required, the Micro-XRF scanner can be turned into a portable device by detaching the measurement head from the supporting frame and using it on a light tripod.