Parker XRF User manual

XRF Analyser
Instruction manual

XRF Analyser Manual

XRF Analyser Manual
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Contents
1 About this manual 2
2 Introduction 2
3 Product description 3
4 XRF safety 4
4.1 Radiation safety on land 4
4.2 Radiation safety at sea 4
4.3 Health and Safety 5
5 Chemical compatibility 6
6 Technical specification 6
6.1 Sulphur measurement precision 6
6.2 Wear metal measurement precision 7
7 Manufacturer information 7
8 Spares/consumables 7
9 Instrument set-up 8
10 Sample preparation 8
10.1 Sample handling 8
10.2 Constructing and filling a sample cup 9
11 General Maintenance and cleaning 12
12 Method of operation 16
12.1 Switching the unit on 16
12.2 Making a measurement 17
12.3 User settings 20
12.4 Bluetooth printing 21
12.5 Touchscreen calibration 23
12.6 Initialisation (Init.) 24
12.7 Time setting 24
12.8 History 25
12.9 Expert settings 29
13 Interpretation of results 30
14 Recalibration 31
15 Technical explanation 31
16 CE Declaration of Conformity 34

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1 About this manual
Important information is listed under the following symbols:
Caution Note
2 Introduction
This manual covers the use and operation of the Parker Kittiwake XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence)
Analyser. The instrument is rugged, compact, stable and easy to operate. Besides being
able to accurately and rapidly measure the concentration of sulphur in marine fuels, it can
determine the concentration of wear metals in oil.
Sulphur in fuel will continue to be a hugely important issue in the marine shipping industry
for many years to come. Current regulations at time of writing, set out in Marpol Annex VI,
prevent the use of fuel with a sulphur concentration above 3.5% in much of the World’s
international waters (unless the vessel in question is fitted with a scrubber). From 1 January
2020 this limit will be reduced to 0.5%. The same regulations will continue to ensure
that only fuel with a sulphur concentration of less than 0.1% can be burnt in designated
Emission Control Areas (ECAs), such as the Baltic Sea.
The most cost effective way of meeting the 0.5% sulphur limit will be to be blend the
minimum amount of expensive, low sulphur, distillate with the maximum amount of cheap,
high sulphur, residual fuel oil. These fuels will surf a very fine line between economics
and legislative compliance. Going forwards, ships will need to be armed with the best
technology to ensure that they only buy and burn compliant fuel; anything else is likely to
lead to significant fines and a loss of reputation.
Condition monitoring of machinery lubricants is an established method of predicting and
avoiding impending machinery breakdown. Component wear and oil contamination can
be identified early and rectified before any serious damage occurs. Production can be
maintained, machinery life extended and the return on capital investment increased.

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3 Product description
Lid
Open lid button
Screen
Power on / off
Warning lights
USB socket
Power socket

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4 XRF safety
While the XRF Analyser is designed to be usable without any special training or qualifica-
tion, appropriate safety precautions must still be taken.
If the XRF Analyser is used in any manner or for any purpose, other than that described in
this manual, safety protection may be impaired.
Warning! This unit is not approved for use in an explosive atmosphere.
Warning! This unit produces ionising radiation and must be operated in accordance
with local regulations (see Sections 4.1 and 4.2 for details).
4.1 Radiation safety on land
Employers who expect workers to operate the XRF Analyser must determine and apply
the ionising radiation regulations that apply in their country of operation. For example, UK
employers must ensure compliance with IRR17. One of the requirements of IRR17 is that
employers appoint a Radiation Protection Supervisor to provide advice on safe operation of
the unit. Local regulations will also likely stipulate requirements for maintenance programs
to be set up by the employer and may include regular servicing by qualified persons.
4.2 Radiation safety at sea
Ships are subject to the maritime laws of their flag state. The flag state has the authority and
responsibility to enforce regulations over its vessels. As an example, a UK-registered ship
will need to obey the radiation safety rules set out by the (UK) Maritime and Coastguard
Agency. MGN451 covers the risk of radiation exposure on board ships. This document
specifically says that “the Ionising Radiations Regulations 17, do not generally apply to
ships when they are outside Great Britain. MGN 197 (M+F) sets out the relevant legislation
for ships.” MGN197 lists five different pieces of legislation that, once considered, should
ensure maritime “compliance as applied to ship owners/operators” with the EU directive
96/29 Euratom. Of these five pieces of legislation, it is The Merchant Shipping and Fishing
Vessels (Health and Safety at Work) Regulations 1997 SI 1997 No 2962 that has particular
relevance to the Parker Kittiwake XRF Analyser. Given that ships must already comply with
these regulations, the extra work involved in incorporating radiation safety measures is fairly
minimal.
Ships also fall under port state control. Port state control (PSC) is an internationally agreed
regime for the inspection of foreign ships in ports other those of the flag state. PSC officers
are required to investigate compliance with the requirements of international conventions
written by bodies such as the IMO and ILO. Both of these bodies are sponsors of the
IAEA radiation safety document entitled “Safety Fundamentals SF-1”. However, the Parker
Kittiwake XRF Analyser is exempted from specific regulation by the IAEA because, under
normal operating conditions, it does not cause an ambient dose rate of > 1 µSv per hour at
a distance of 0.1 m from the unit.

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4.3 Health and safety
The design of the XRF Analyser is consistent with the principles outlined in ISO 12100:2010
(Safety of machinery – General principles for design - Risk assessment and risk reduction).
A risk assessment of the final design has been conducted to highlight actions that should
be taken to minimise operator risk.
Actions
• Set up a controlled-access area around the instrument.
• Only allow trained/authorised people to operate the instrument.
• Carry out a visual inspection of the analyser prior to each use.
• Use a calibrated radiation monitor to perform annual radiation leak testing.
• Equip operators with a dosimeter and record cumulative measurements.
• Review dosage records at regular intervals.
• Inspect the safety functions (especially the lid interlock, lid release button and
lights) of the analyser prior to use.
• Prepare local rules that require the unit to be returned in the event of suspected
damage.
• Maintain the analyser in line with manufacturer guidance.
• Perform regular electrical testing of the power supply.
• Protect external cable from damage in use.
• Do not run the analyser without a sample in place.
• Use appropriate PPE when handling hazardous samples.
• Lift the unit only by the integrated handle when necessary.
• Local rules should state that operators must inform management if they become
pregnant.
• For absolute safety, redeploy any operator who reports a pregnancy.
• Keep the XRF in cool, dry conditions.
• When not in use, the XRF should be stored in a secure location, under lock and
key, to prevent unauthorised access and use. As well as being good practice,
this may be a requirement of local regulations covering the use of ionising
radiation. See sections 4.1 and 4.2 for more details.

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5 Chemical compatibility
The XRF Analyser is only intended to measure liquid hydrocarbons, such as lubricating oils
and fuel samples.
Any liquids that are chemically incompatible with polyester may breach the Mylar film used
to retain samples and destroy the X-ray detector.
6 Technical specification
6.1 Sulphur measurement precision
The Parker Kittiwake XRF Analyser is factory calibrated according to ISO 8754 and makes
field sulphur concentration measurements that correlate strongly with ISO 8754 laboratory
measurements. The repeatability of the instrument, established at three different sulphur
concentrations using accepted laboratory and statistical techniques, is actually better than
that provided in ISO 8754. Given this information, the reproducibility of the unit should also
be no worse than that stated in ISO 8754.
1 19 out of 20 repeated measurements fall within the stated range for each sulphur concentration.
2 Measured instrument repeatability.
3 Inferred instrument reproducibility.
Rated Input Voltage 9 V D.C.
Operating temperature 15 to 30 °C
Operating humidity < 70 %
Instrument weight 4.5 kg
Test time 130 seconds (typical)
Unit dimensions 212 mm (w) × 258 mm (h) × 258 mm (d)
X-ray tube 40 kV, 100 µA
Detector type Silicon drift
Measurable elements Sulphur, calcium, titanium, vanadium, chromium,
manganese, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, molybdenum,
silver, cadmium, lead
Sulphur conc. / % 1,2Repeatability / % 1,3Reproducibility / %
0.500 ± 0.010 ± 0.037
1.000 ± 0.017 ± 0.065
3.000 ± 0.045 ± 0.179

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6.2 Wear metal measurement precision
The repeatability of wear metal concentration measurements has been established
using accepted laboratory and statistical techniques. Instrument repeatability has been
determined for a subset of measurable elements at a variety of concentrations.
7 Manufacturer information
Please contact the manufacturer for service, consumables, spare parts and repairs.
Parker Hannifin Manufacturing Email:[e-mail]
3-6 Thorgate Road
Littlehampton
BN17 7LU
UK
8 Spares/consumables
Metal Conc. / ppm Repeatability / ppm
Calcium 11,249 ± 150
Vanadium 49 ± 4
Chromium 6 ± 2
Iron 6 ± 2
Nickel 17 ± 1
Copper 2 ± 1
Zinc 204 ± 4
Part no. Item Contents
ACCK04001 Consumables pack Syringes (100)
Sample cups (100)
Copper targets (5)
Reel of Mylar (30 m)
Labels for printer (10 m)
ACCK04002 Check standards Pack of 3 standards

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9 Instrument set-up
Warning! It is critically important that the XRF Analyser is connected to the local
mains power supply using the power adaptor and cable provided. Damage to
internal circuitry caused by accidental use of the incorrect power supply is not
covered by the warranty.
For best results, the XRF Analyser should be operated:
• On a flat, level surface such as a workbench or a desk.
• In temperature-stable environments.
• Away from drafts and heat sources such as air conditioning or heaters.
• Away from strong magnetic fields, such as large electronic motors or generators,
power transformers, loudspeakers or microwave ovens (these can even affect the
instrument through walls).
Before each use of the XRF instrument, a series of safety checks should be
carried out to ensure safety features are functional. This will likely be a requirement
of local regulations – see section 4. At a minimum, these checks should include:
• Visual checks for damage to the XRF exterior
• Visual check for cracks of the glass lid.
• Check the lid interlock - the lid must only open by pressing the button.
10 Sample preparation
10.1 Sample handling
Please read this section to familiarise yourself with sample preparation before using the
XRF Analyser for the first time.
In order to ensure a reliable measurement, the following steps should be taken to ensure
that the measured sample is representative of the main body of fluid:
• Any containers used to store or collect fluid samples should be clean and free of
contamination before use.
• The sample cups themselves should be kept in a clean dry environment.
• Fluid samples should be mixed thoroughly by shaking or stirring.
• Any air bubbles introduced during homogenisation should be allowed to disperse
before dispensing the fluid into an XRF sample cup.

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10.2 Constructing and filling a sample cup
Liquid samples MUST be put into a prepared sample cup before being placed
inside the spectrometer.
Begin by setting a sample cup base on a flat surface.
Extract roughly 2 ml of sample fluid using one of the supplied syringes and dispense it
into the sample cup base.

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Cut off a roughly-square piece of Mylar sheet from the roll provided and lay it over the
sample cup base.
The subsitution of Parker-Kittiwake-supplied Mylar film with any other product
(including other types of Mylar) will cause measurement inaccuracies.
Identify the flanged side of a sample cup ring.
Flanged edge of the sample cup ring

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Press the flanged side of the sample cup ring down over the Mylar and snap it onto the
sample cup base.

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At this stage the sample cup can be safely inverted in preparation for insertion into the
XRF Analyser.
11 General Maintenance and cleaning
Wipe the instrument body with a dry cloth to remove most oily marks. The removal of par-
ticularly stubborn stains can be assisted by the use of a mild hydrocarbon solvent such as
isopropyl alcohol. Other solvents or cleaning products may damage the instrument.
Replace Mylar film covering detector aperture every month and also whenever it
appears to be dirty or compromised in any way.
Replace Mylar film carefully, since procedure exposes the fragile detector. Physical
damage to the detector is not covered by the warranty.

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Depress the oval silver button on the front of the unit to open the lid. Undo the screw
nearest the front of the XRF Analyser within the sample compartment. Lift the screw
completely out of the compartment and store safely.
Lift front end of retaining plate using a small screwdriver and hinge backwards.

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Carefully remove the existing Mylar sheet from over the detector window.
Cut a square of Mylar film from the roll provided and rest it gently over the aperture.

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Lower the hinged metal flap back into its original position, insert the screw back into the
vacant hole and tighten carefully. Examine the Mylar film to ensure that it is free of wrinkles
and tears.
The XRF Analyser does not have any user serviceable parts and any attempt to dismantle
the unit will invalidate the warranty.
Local regulation may require annual safety checks by a suitably qualified organisation,
such as a Radiation Protection Officer.
For all servicing and repairs, please contact the manufacturer (see section 7). Please
retain all original instrument packaging for return shipping. The manufacturer will not be
liable for damage to returned goods resulting from inadequate packaging.

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12 Method of operation
12.1 Switching the unit on
Prior to switching the unit on, depress the oval silver button to open its lid. Place a copper
target centrally over the detector aperture and reclose the lid.

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Turn on the power switch and wait roughly 1 min for the HOME screen to appear.
12.2 Making a measurement
Depress the oval silver button to open the lid and replace the copper target with the sam-
ple of interest (prepared according to the instructions in section 10.2). Place the sample
centrally over the detector before closing the lid.

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Press the FUEL button on the HOME screen if you wish to determine the sulphur content
in a fuel or the LUBE button if you wish to determine the wear metal content in a lubricant.
The unit will present a START screen.
Press the PLAY button on START screen to reveal SAMPLE ID screen.