Flow meters and controllers for elemental analysis

2025-09-24 01:06:05

Trace Elemental Analysis (TEA) is a crucial process used across various industries such as environmental monitoring, metallurgy, food safety, and pharmaceuticals. It involves detecting and quantifying elements at very low concentrations, often in parts per million or even parts per billion. These techniques are vital for ensuring quality, compliance, and safety in products and environments. At Bronkhorst, we specialize in manufacturing highly accurate and reliable flow meters and controllers that support the precision required in TEA systems.

Rob ten Haaft, our Industry Specialist for the analytical market, shares insights into the evolving trends in elemental analysis and how Bronkhorst plays a key role in supporting these advancements.

This blog post is based on an interview with Rob by Strategic Marketing Manager Carolien Meijer and Online Marketeer Lynn Woerts.

When and Why Are Trace Elements Measured?

Measuring trace elements is essential in many fields. For example, in environmental science, heavy metals like mercury, lead, cadmium, and arsenic can be harmful to human health and ecosystems. Monitoring soil, water, and plant samples using TEA helps ensure these contaminants are kept within safe limits. Even common elements like carbon, hydrogen, and sulfur can be indicators of environmental changes when their levels shift.

Pharmaceutical companies also rely on TEA to ensure product purity and compliance with strict regulations. The need for precise and reproducible flow control is widespread, which is why we often assist customers in optimizing their equipment. Our range of flow meters and controllers is designed to meet the unique requirements of each application, ensuring accuracy and consistency in every measurement.

What Is the Role of a Flow Controller During Analysis?

In elemental analysis, the sample is separated and then measured by a detector. A carrier gas is used to transport the components, and other gases may be introduced for chemical or physical reactions to make the elements detectable. These gases must be pure, and the flow controllers and meters used must be extremely accurate and repeatable. This ensures that results are not only correct but also consistent over time and across different locations.

Accuracy and reproducibility are the two most important features of flow meters and controllers in TEA. While this might sound general, it's the specific adaptation to each device and its requirements that makes the difference. I enjoy working closely with customers to understand their systems and provide tailored solutions that enhance performance and reliability.

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What Are the Specific Needs and Requirements?

Each customer has unique needs when it comes to flow meters and controllers. Factors such as the size of the device, signal processing, control system, and power supply all play a role in selecting the right solution. Price is also an important consideration. Working closely with our customers' engineers allows us to deliver effective and innovative solutions that meet their exact specifications.

What Are the Latest Trends in the Trace Elemental Market?

Current trends include miniaturization, increased purity, and cost efficiency. As a result, flow meters and controllers are becoming more compact and intelligent. Laboratories now require devices capable of detecting even smaller concentration levels, making purity and accuracy more critical than ever.

Trace Elemental Analysis laboratories developments

Bronkhorstâ€™s flow controllers already offer self-diagnosis capabilities, and weâ€™re exploring predictive maintenance options based on valve tension and other parameters. We're currently focusing on the specific needs of pharmaceutical companies in trace element analysis and would love to hear from readers who have insights or questions on this topic!

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