The QCX ASP100 Automated Soft Press has revolutionized sample preparation for XRD analysis. Its innovative soft press technology minimizes the preferred orientation of mineral phases, and the analytical bias this can cause. It is particularly suited to materials containing clays and micas.One of the biggest sources of inaccuracies is the non-ideal spherical shape of the crystallites in many minerals, even after grinding. This causes preferred orientation in the pressed sample and leads to errors in the XRD analysis. This happens especially with phases that have a low symmetry, like clay materials. Pressing samples at high pressure can increase this error. To obtain useful results, preparing your sample correctly and reducing the preferred orientation of the powder is essential

• With two different ring sizes, the ASP100 can produce a pressed sample in the size and shape you need for your XRD analyser
• The ASP100 Automated Soft Press is available in two configurations. It comes as a stand-alone unit for laboratory use, with the option of a 16-sample exchangeable rack. Or for automated laboratories, it is also available as an integrated unit.