Comparison
Which handheld fits my application?
Objective guidance – not a sales pitch. Actual suitability always depends on material, requirement and accuracy.
XRF and LIBS compared
| Application | XRF | LIBS |
|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel / Ni / Cr / Mo | ✓ | ✓ |
| PMI | ✓ | ✓ |
| Precious metals | ✓✓ | – |
| Carbon in steel | – | ✓✓ |
| Light elements | limited | ✓ |
| Recycling | ✓✓ | ✓ |
| Battery materials | ✓ | ✓✓ |
| Coatings | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fast alloy identification | ✓✓ | ✓ |
| CEV / carbon equivalent | – | ✓ |
✓✓ very well suited · ✓ suited · limited · – not suited
Context
When XRF, when LIBS?
Carbon
Only LIBS can measure carbon on site – relevant for L/H grades, CEV and carburised or heat-treated steels.
Precious metals
XRF is non-destructive and the established choice for Au, Ag, Pt, Pd.
Stainless / Mo
Both technologies separate e.g. 304 and 316L via Mo content.
Manufacturers in the market: alongside SciAps, Evident, Hitachi, Oxford Instruments and Bruker also offer handheld XRF and LIBS instruments. This comparison helps choose the right technology regardless of manufacturer – my consulting focuses on SciAps.
Which instrument fits your application?
Describe your material and task – I'll give you a technical assessment.