Hydraulic presses are versatile tools for laboratory sample preparation. In conjunction with a pellet die they can be used to form solid and semi-solid pellets (also called tablets and briquettes) for various spectroscopic and physical testing methods including infrared (IR) spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, dielectric spectroscopy, tablet dissolution tests, and more. It is also possible to compact powdered mineral, biological, ceramic and metallic materials as a stage prior to sintering in the research and development of novel materials. With heated platens, a hydraulic press can also be used for preparation of thin polymeric films for either spectroscopic or material research purposes.
In busy laboratories that are working constantly to make samples for XRF and other elemental analyses, pellet preparation for XRF, FTIR is essential for quick turnover of samples and ease of sampling.
Grinding sample powders to a fine particle size and pressing them into a smooth flat pellet should reduce scattering & improve the direction of light elements.
