Tracer 5 Portable Geochemical Analyzer

This instrument was purchased in 2020. It arrived with a precious metals calibration and Spectrometer mode.

Upgraded to a 5g in 2023 when the tube failed in first 5i instrument.

Internal Notes

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hHcxz21J64i4Z5fKEFBzgKCDRi5WtExUQtrw...

Training Videos

Lee Drake provided two day training at UC Berkeley that is on the ARF Youtube Channel. Day 1 is introduction on physics of photons is short (40 min), The Day 2 demonstration video is over 5 hours long demo and is unedited.

20 min video tutorial from Lee Drake in 2018 on creating a new calibration with EasyCal using obsidian.

Applications

The instrument was purchased with the Bruker Precious Metals calibration and included a silver sample.

Obsidian calibrations were developed by Tripcevich in 2021 referencing the MURR OBS40 set and via EasyCal and S1PXRF software.

A CHARM bronze calibration was developed by Obert in 2020

Recent Literature

Oct 2022, Open access: Advances in Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry: Instrumentation, Application and Interpretation, edited by B Lee Drake; Brandi L MacDonald
https://books.rsc.org/books/edited-volume/2001/Advances-in-Portable-X-ra...

"Evaluating obsidian calibration sets with portable X-Ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) instruments" in 2021 JAS Reports by Martindale-Johnson, Ferguson, Freund, Drake, Duke.

TRACER 5i Technical Details

  • Detector window: 8 μm Beryllium
  • Detector: Proprietary 20mm2 silicon drift detector with < 140 eV @ 250,000 cps Mn Kα; resolution for optimum light element analysis.
  • Analysis range: Detects from Na to U; analyzes from Mg - U
  • Size: 27.3 cm x 9.4 cm x 29.5 cm (10.75 in x 3.7 in x 11.6 in) L x W x H
  • Weight: 1.9 kg (4.1 lbs) with battery; 1.6 kg (3.6 lbs) without battery
  • Power: Li-Ion battery and charger; AC adapter
  • Excitation source: Rhodium (Rh) thin window X-ray tube; X-ray generator 6-50 kV with 4.5-195 uA, maximum 4 Watt output. Operator adjustable current and voltage for optimum excitation
  • Collimation: User changeable collimator; 3 mm and 8 mm collimators supplied
  • Filters: Operator controlled, motorized 5 position primary beam filter wheel. Manual insertion filter/secondary target slot for factory or user made filters.
  • Geometry: Features patented SharpBeam™ beam path for best performance at low power.
  • Beam path: Capable of selectable beam path of vacuum, helium or air to detect elements as light as Fluorine (F) to as heavy as uranium (U).
  • Internal camera: Internal VGA CMOS camera with ability to store up to 5 photos per assay.
  • Interactive touchscreen: High performance and contrast daylight visible TFT LCD 9.4 cm (3.7”) color touchscreen display.
  • Convenience features: TrueTouch trigger switch, relaxed ambidextrous hand grip strap and EasyAccess rail mount for accessories.
  • Control software: Full control OS on analyzer and on PC software.
  • Analysis software: Control of all excitation parameters and live spectra displayed on analyzer. Live spectra and qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative analysis on Windows® 7 or 10 PC.
  • Data storage & data transfer: Internal and direct storage on USB drive. Data transfer to PC via USB or Wi-Fi. Bluetooth connectivity for accessories.
  • System safety: Password protection; Sample proximity sensor; Low count rate (backscatter) shutoff
  • Operating environment: -10°C to +50°C (+14°F to 122°F); IP54 dust and splash resistant; Altitude: 2,500 m (8,200 ft)

This instrument is used in