Katanax X-FLUXER User manual

Automatic fluxer

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Thank you for having chosen the X-300 fusion machine from Katanax. To enjoy
years of reliable, efficient and safe use of this time-saving instrument, please read
this manual thoroughly and keep it in a safe and handy place for future reference.
Should you have any question regarding the use, maintenance or repair of your
instrument, kindly contact Katanax directly for assistance (see page 84 for contact
details).
© September 2020, Katanax inc. All rights reserved.

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Index
Index ...............................................................................................2
Installation......................................................................................5
Box contents............................................................................................ 5
Location................................................................................................... 5
Leveling ................................................................................................... 7
Connection............................................................................................... 7
Mold size.................................................................................................. 7
Crucible holder setup................................................................................ 7
Questions ?.............................................................................................. 7
Introduction....................................................................................8
Fusion basics............................................................................................ 8
Automatic fluxers ..................................................................................... 8
The X-300 fluxer ...................................................................................... 8
Main features of the Katanax X-300 ........................................................ 11
Precautions ...................................................................................13
How the unit works ......................................................................14
Heating.................................................................................................. 14
Multiple configurations............................................................................ 14
Access to the furnace ............................................................................. 14
Agitation and pouring of the melt ............................................................ 15
Cooling .................................................................................................. 15
Solution agitation ................................................................................... 15
Using the X-300 (basic) ...............................................................16
Operation of the safety shield.................................................................. 16
The main running screen ........................................................................ 17
Loading a program ................................................................................. 20
During a fusion....................................................................................... 21
The right ingredients .............................................................................. 22
Care of the platinumware ....................................................................... 25
Crucible installation ................................................................................ 26
Mold installation ..................................................................................... 27
A general fusion ..................................................................................... 28
Making solutions..................................................................................... 29
Description of the fusion steps ................................................................ 30
Programming the X-300 (advanced)...........................................32
Viewing the fusion parameters ................................................................ 32
Unlocking the advanced mode ................................................................ 36
Managing fusion methods ....................................................................... 37
Preparing a fusion program..................................................................... 38
Heating steps ......................................................................................... 38
Pouring step........................................................................................... 39
Cooling steps ......................................................................................... 40

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On-the-fly editing ................................................................................... 41
Global parameters ........................................................................43
Language............................................................................................... 43
Holding temperature offset ..................................................................... 43
Startup tolerance.................................................................................... 44
End beep ............................................................................................... 44
Automatic shut-off delay......................................................................... 44
Safety shield protection .......................................................................... 45
Fusion counter ....................................................................................... 45
Special parameters.......................................................................46
Accessing the Special parameters ........................................................... 46
Offsets................................................................................................... 46
Loop operation ....................................................................................... 47
Movement testing................................................................................... 47
Fusion troubleshooting.................................................................48
Disk cracks............................................................................................. 48
Disk crystallizes...................................................................................... 48
Incomplete disk...................................................................................... 48
Non-homogenous disk............................................................................ 49
Bubbles in disk ....................................................................................... 49
Periodic inspection .......................................................................50
Warning................................................................................................. 50
Inspection schedule table........................................................................ 50
Flux spillage on holders........................................................................... 50
Holders alignment and functionality......................................................... 51
Air filter for the molds cooling ................................................................. 52
Furnace chimney cleaning....................................................................... 52
Element terminal connections ................................................................. 53
Furnace cleanliness ................................................................................ 53
Thermocouple junction ........................................................................... 54
Swing motion system ............................................................................ 54
Service operations ........................................................................56
Warning................................................................................................. 56
Crucible holder removal .......................................................................... 56
Crucible holder installation ...................................................................... 57
Mold holder removal............................................................................... 57
Mold holder configuration, assembly and alignment ................................. 58
Heating element replacement ................................................................. 60
Top/back panel removal ......................................................................... 62
Side panel removal................................................................................. 63
Bottom panels removal........................................................................... 64
Appendix A –Technical specifications.........................................66
Electrical ................................................................................................ 66
Physical ................................................................................................. 66
Appendix B –Warranty ................................................................67
Appendix C –Firmware and program transfers..........................68
Preset programs..................................................................................... 68

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Backup or restore by USB ....................................................................... 69
Appendix D –CPLive : Data logging ............................................71
Introduction to data logging.................................................................... 71
Installing EasyConverter ......................................................................... 71
Enable data logging ................................................................................ 72
Sample tracking ..................................................................................... 73
Copying logs to a USB drive................................................................... 74
Accessing logs through FTP..................................................................... 75
Structure of the data log files .................................................................. 76
Error / warning codes listing ................................................................... 77
Appendix E –CPLive : Networking...............................................78
Connecting the fluxer to your LAN........................................................... 78
Appendix F –CPLive : Remote access .........................................80
Controlling the fluxer from a remote device ............................................. 80
Allowing Katanax support to access your fluxer........................................ 82
Contacting Katanax ......................................................................84

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Installation
Congratulations on your acquisition of the X-300 fluxer, from Katanax. Please read
the following section for proper commissioning of your instrument. Do not hesitate
to contact Katanax with any question you might have with this crucial step.
IMPORTANT: It is advisable that several persons carry this instrument to avoid
injuries. Do not drop instrument.
Box contents
The instrument comes with its essential accessories. In addition to optional items
you might have ordered, the box should contain:
1 fluxer X-300
1 instruction manual (this booklet)
USB memory stick and hex key set
Additionally, if you have ordered a X-300 with solution-making capability, you will
find:
3 unbreakable PTFE beakers, #KP0010A
magnetic stirring bars (one is included with each beaker)
the rest of the solution-making assembly is pre-installed into the instrument,
and is not packaged separately.
Location
Vent hood
Molten flux, additives and some samples may produce vapors and gases that
need to be extracted. In particular, the use of excessive amounts of halogen-
based non-wetting agent will potentially cause the deterioration of the fluxer if the
corrosive fumes are not properly vented out.
In order to minimize airflow around the unit, the hood shall ideally be of the
canopy type, i.e. with sides and front open. If the sides are closed or otherwise
occupied by other instruments, a clearance of 30 cm from combustible materials
shall be maintained on either sides and to the back of the instrument.
Sash-type hoods should preferably not be used; or if unavoidable, the sash shall
be kept open, so as not to create front-to-back air movements.
The funnel (intake section) of the hood shall be approximately equal (or slightly
larger than) the size of the instrument's footprint, and centered above it to avoid
sideways airflow around the fluxer.

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The lowest part of the funnel shall sit 45 to 60 cm above the instrument (96 to
111 cm above the tabletop).
Fume hood air speed, measured at the base of the intake funnel, shall be around
0.5 m/s.
Given the nature of the exhausted gases (halogen compounds), Katanax
recommends that the piping be internally coated with a corrosion-resistant finish,
PTFE-coated piping being the optimal. (Other corrosive-resistant coatings may be
allowed by your local fire codes.) The same applies to the fan / impeller and any
other part in contact with the gas flow.
Motor and fan / impeller sizing information can unfortunately not be provided by
Katanax, as those strongly depend on factors linked to each individual installation
(pipe diameter, pipe distance to the outside, exhaust baffle type, etc...). Those will
need to be calculated locally for each installation by HVAC engineers.
Table
The counter on which the instrument is to be used must be able to safely
withstand a weight of 54 kg (120 lbs). It is recommended to use the instrument
from a standing position, and adjust table height accordingly.
The tabletop shall be made of a non-combustible material, horizontally flat, rigid,
and stable.
It is advisable that several persons carry the instrument to avoid back injuries.
IMPORTANT: The instrument can be carried by its bottom plate, or by the two
large handles on each end of the unit top. The safety shield handle shall NOT be
used to carry the instrument.
96-111 cm
(38-44 in.)
30 cm
(12 in.)

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Safety clearance
Because your new fluxer will produce heat, a minimal safety clearance must be
provided to prevent surrounding material from heating and potentially catching
fire. All around the instrument, a minimum distance of 30 cm (12’’) must be free
from combustible materials. Similarly, a clearance of at least 45 cm (18’’) must be
provided above the top of the instrument.
Your local fire code may require different clearance distances; please check with
your local regulations.
Leveling
In order to obtain glass beads with a uniform thickness, it is important that the
molds be reasonably horizontal upon pouring. If in doubt, place a bubble spirit
level on top of the fluxer and adjust the instrument’s feet to compensate for
possible slant. (Also see page 27 for mold installation details. If mold is correctly
leveled but beads are still incomplete, please refer to Fusion troubleshooting, at
page 48.)
Connection
The X-300 works on 195-250 VAC, 50/60 Hz. Note that the in-wall power line and
corresponding wall breakers or fuses must be designed to carry at least 15 A.
Mold size
On the X-300, the user can easily re-configure the mold holder to accept any mold
nominal size from 30 to 40 mm. Please refer to page 58, Mold holder
configuration, assembly and alignment for details.
Crucible
holder setup
Once the mold holders are configured and installed, you may proceed to page 57,
Crucible holder for details on how to properly assemble the parts that make up
the crucible holder, and install the latter in the instrument.
Questions ?
Should you have any question regarding the proper installation and start-up of
your instrument, please contact Katanax directly (see information on page 84) for
assistance.

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Introduction
This section intends to introduce the reader to the fusion technique and to
familiarize him or her to the X-300.
Fusion basics
Fusion is a technique used to prepare inorganic samples, with a view to analyze
them by x-ray fluorescence (XRF), inductively coupled plasma (ICP) atomic
absorption (AA) or any traditional wet chemistry method. Typical samples include:
cements, ores, slag, sediments, soils, rocks, ceramics, pigments, glasses and
metals.
A fusion can produce either a small, homogenous solid glass disk (or “bead”) for
XRF, or an acid solution for other analytical methods.
The process of fusion as a sample preparation method exhibits many advantages
over other methods, as it does not produce mineralogy, grain size or orientation
effects and the result is perfectly homogenous.
In sample preparation by fusion, the sample never actually melts. It is merely
dissolved into a solvent. This solvent, generally a lithium borate flux, is solid at
room temperature and must be molten to dissolve anything. This is the only
reason the process requires heat.
Therefore, the peak temperature of a sample preparation by fusion is
determined only by the type of flux, not the type of sample.
Katanax does not recommend exceeding 1050°C when using lithium borates.
Katanax does not recommend exceeding 1000°C when using sodium borates.
Heating above those temperatures could cause flux evaporation that could bias
the subsequent analysis, or cause damage to the furnace insulation.
Automatic
fluxers
Because of the potential risk of manipulating red-hot samples and to increase
repeatability of temperature, mixing and duration, the industry has now adopted
the automated fusion machine as the standard equipment to prepare samples by
fusion.
The X-300
fluxer
General view
Enter the X-300, the fusion machine that combines the safety and accuracy of
electrical heating with unprecedented flexibility and simplicity. It is also a very
sturdy unit, as it shares many of its industrial-grade components with its larger
brother, the six-position X-600.