Running your galvanizing production without needing a laboratory

The ultimate autonomy: Operators can perform routine calibrations without a laboratory with the Galvalibs Calibration Unit (GCU).

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Important fact

The Gavalibs 2.0 calibration should be checked every two (2) months with a bath sample analyzed in a lab or with the Galvalibs Calibration Unit (GCU).

Novel calibration method

To give Galvalibs 2.0 operators more autonomy and to avoid additional expensive laboratory equipment, Tecnar developed a new approach using the Galvalibs 2.0 to measure the composition of a bath sample. In this approach, data from a cooled bath sample is processed with data from a set of disks of Certified Reference Materials to create an accurate, self-calibrated measurement of the sample’s chemistry.

CRM based

High-quality Certified Reference Materials (CRM) enable GCU auto-calibration with each run. Comparing the signals from a CRM set to the signals from the bath sample provides an accurate concentration of elements, such as Al and Fe, in the sample without any additional information needed.

Get dissolved content

Microsampling of the sample with LIBS technology enables the GCU to discriminate between signals from the fully dissolved area and the dross-embedded area. The GCU directly measures the dissolved content in the sample without needing solubility curve corrections.

Any process: Zn-Al-Mg, Ga-Gi, Al-Si

The same GCU is used for multiple bath chemistry by simply changing the CRM set. No other adjustments are needed. Use the same GCU for all your bath processes.

Step-by-step calibration process with the GCU

Simplified bath chemistry analyzer calibration.

In the first step, a bath sample is taken near the analyzer. Once the sample is cooled and the surface is prepared, the operator loads it into the GCU carousel, hooks up the GCU to the Galvalibs 2.0 and automatically gets the bath’s composition in less than 90 minutes.

How simple is that?

Step 1

Press a single button to record signal on Galvalibs 2.0.

Step 2

Take sample from bath… and we provide the mould.

Step 3

Prepare sample: Simply cut and prep the surface.

Step 4

Insert sample in the GCU carousel and attach GCU to Galvalibs 2.0.

Step 5

Press START and get the results!

 

Step 6

Enter results in Galvalibs 2.0…and it’s ready to go.

How it works

Why is GCU better than ICP?

Most ICP systems directly measure each element’s total amount of concentration, but the Galvalibs 2.0 uses effective (dissolved only) concentration amounts for proper calibration. In ICP, solubility curves must be used to convert total amounts measured into effective concentration amounts. Since solubility is a function of the temperature of the melt in the bath, an accurate temperature measurement is needed to get an accurate value of the effective concentrations. The GCU, based on high-quality Certified Reference Materials, provides accurate concentration values of a bath sample’s dissolved elements. There’s no need for temperature information or temperature correction.

How does the GCU/Galvalibs directly measure the concentration of dissolved elements?

When the GCU is mounted on the Galvalibs 2.0, the laser probe beam is focussed on a small spot on the surface of the solid sample in an environment of continuously flowing inert gas, Argon. The small beam spot limits the possibility of solid particles (dross) embedded in the probed volume, yielding a measurement of the dissolved phase only. If a dross particle is detected in the microsample, a higher-than-normal signal intensity for intermetallic elements is recorded. With its shot-per-shot signal processing, the unit can sort the data and produce reliable independent measurements of solid and dissolved content.

What is Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)?

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is a laser-based compositional analysis method for solids or liquid matter. In its basic principle, a high-energy laser pulse heats a small volume of the target to plasma level. The light emitted by this plasma is then collected and analyzed by an optical spectrometer. Since each individual element, such as Al, Fe and Zn, only emits light at specific optical wavelengths, or colours called optical spectral lines, isolating and measuring the intensity of selected spectral lines can detect the concentration of elements in the plasma. The method makes it easy to measure Al and Fe concentrations in a galvanizing bath.

Interested in getting into real-time bath composition, dross and level control?

Our team will answer all your questions and suggest the best solution for your needs.

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Contact us
LIBS Specialist
Andrew Sauerwald
1.484.340.0277
asauerwald@tecnar.com