Pittcon Today - Chemical & Engineering News

4 PITTCON TODAY :: TUESDAY :: March 13 2012 :: Orlando Orlando :: March 13 2012 :: TUESDAY :: PITTCON TODAY 5At deadline…their routine validation processes.Waters (Booth 2267) has introduceda new product line of analyticalstandards and reagents consistingof an initial portfolio of more than200 pre-formulated reference materialsand reagents for the scientificlaboratory. Its Analytical Standardsand Reagents—which respond tothe needs of laboratories to enhanceproductivity, support globalization,stimulate business growth, andstrengthen compliance—will bemanufactured at a newly-builtfacility in Golden, CO.Xylem (Booth 3171) has kicked off McMillan Flow Products (BoothPittcon with the launch of its YSI 3080) is releasing a new modular2900 biochemistry analyzer that has flow controller for both liquidsreceived unprecedented market pickup.Able to handle the widest range Control solution appeals to bothand gases. The Iridium Series Flowof sample containers, the system exhibitors and attendees at Pittconproduces a result in 60 seconds for due to its advanced touchscreenimportant bioprocess parameters interface and ability to measure aincluding glucose, lactate, and ethanol.YSI has revealed that this un-of the Iridium Series is a 3.5-inchwide range of flow rates. The heartmatched speed, in addition to high integrated TFT color touchscreen,level precision, has led to the system providing graphical displays ofbeing adopted for the analysis of flow, an advanced menu system forcomplex sample matrices such as full unit configuration, and immediatedisplay of any process condi-those analyzed by glucometer manufacturers,with many now choosing tions that limit the unit’s ability toto implement the analyzer as part of accurately control flow rates.C&EN Toasts to PIttcon’s Opening MondayJobs are No. 1 Priorityof Pittcon Employment BureauMore than 400 jobs arebeing offered in analyticalchemistry, biotechnology,and sales and marketing at thePittcon 2012 Employment Bureau.The numbers point to good timesahead for people with science andtechnical knowledge.“The statistics are clear and theunemployment rate for chemists isdown from 8 percent last year to 6.1percent,” said Joe Jolson, employmentcommittee chair for the Societyof Analytical Chemistry. “Morecompanies are hiring and there area record number of openings.”Jolson said two years ago atthe American Chemical Society’snational meeting in San Franciscohe found that every other person hespoke with was out of work. He saidmany bio-tech companies had goneout of business and people withyears of experience were desperatefor employment.“It was hard to stay cheery,”he said. “But things are definitelylooking up today.”There are 120 companiesinterviewing at the freeEmployment Bureau in the ValenciaBallroom in room 415A. Thecompanies are seeing a wide rangeof applicants—from studentslooking for their first jobs toexperienced workers applying for abetter position.Candidates are able to registerand apply online for the first timethis year. The new electronic systemreplaces paper listings that wereused in previous years.The decision to go green notonly saves paper but time, saidManny Miller, employment chairfor Pittcon.Conference attendees canregister and apply for jobs fromtheir computers, iPads, smartphones, or any device that connectsto the internet. There are also 30computers and 15 printers availablefor use in the Employment Bureau.Sandra Lamere, research anddevelopment manager at RocheDiagnostics in Indianapolis, is lookingfor three analytical chemists tosupport new product development.She said she came to the conferencebecause Pittcon attracts people whoare highly skilled and qualified.See Employment page 39Industry Pioneers Outline Devices’ AdvancementsFive pioneers in thedevelopment and applicationof portable handheld X-rayfluorescence spectrometers spokeMonday about the advances of theirdevices during the 23rd Annual JamesL. Waters Annual Symposium.The symposium recognizesthe developments by preservingtheir histories and detailing thecooperation between inventors,scientists, engineers, entrepreneursand marketing specialists.Lee Grodzins, a former M.I.T.professor, told how he founded Nitonin 1987 to develop and marketanalytic instruments to measuretoxic elements in the environment.His first hand-held spectrometerdetected the toxic gas in lead paintcalled Radon, which was formallyknown as Niton.Over time, the capabilities of thetwo- to three-pound spectrometersP u b l i s h e d b y A m e r i c a n C h e m i c a l S o c i e t yPublisher Kenneth M. CarrollEditor Sharon DonovanReporter Terry RoenArt Director Connie HameediPhotographers Peter Cutts, Michael CuttsAdvertising Sales USAChuck Wilson, Dean Baldwin,Robert LaPointe, Thomas Scanlangrew closer to those in laboratories.Each advance lowered the timeand cost for an elemental analysis,which benefited traditional fields,created new opportunities, and keptthe company growing at more than25 percent each year.Andrew T. Ellis develops the X-MET series for Oxford Instruments.It offers improved accuracy andprecision for stainless steels. This X-ray tube and detector developmentsalong with the use of FP algorithmsobtain accurate analysis despite limitedcomputer power.Early systems were mobile, portable,and capable of accurate alloyanalysis. The latest X-MET5000 isequipped with an improved Ai PINand a processor enabling extendedFP calculations for excellent alloyanalysis accuracy.Stanislaw Piorek, director of appliedresearch for Thermo ScientificEurope Uwe Riemeyer,Paul Barrett, Nadia LiefsoensAsia Minghua Lu, Angel Zhu,Mai Hashikura, Shigamaro Yatsui,Faredoon KukaProduction ManagerJoesph DavisCover Photos: iStockphoto.comNiton Analyzers, told how the combinationof the latest in microprocessorand Li+ battery technologiesenabled the design of a handheldED-XRF analyzer weighing onlyabout 1.5 kG but packed with theequivalent analytical capabilities ofits bench-top version.Twenty years ago, hand-held XRFwas limited to niche applications usingdetectors with limited performance.Today tens of thousands of hand-heldXRF systems are in the field, used in awide range of applications with excellentresolution and count rate performance.Alan Huber, president and cofounderof Amptek, explained how afew central challenges were overcomethrough successive technology.The first generation of detectorswas not intended to replacelaboratory instruments but to bettermeet the requirements of particularmeasurements. Major challengesACS PublicationsAdvertising Sales Group480 East Swedesford RoadWayne, PA 19087Phone 610.964.8061Fax 610.964.8071CEN-onsite.orgCutting the ribbon at the openingbell of Pittcon: left to right, VisitOrlando president and CEO GarySain, mayoral assistant KathyScanlon, and Pitttcon’s JanethPifer, president elect designate;president Jon Peace, and RonBargiel, president electwere cooling the detectors enoughto reduce electronic noise withoutusing liquid nitrogen, achievingstable operation over a very widetemperature range, and developingpackaging robust enough to surviveyears of field use.Charles Jensen, the CTO of Moxtekwho brought the Bullet X-raytube into production, discussedthe challenges met in the designand manufacture of miniature X-ray sources to meet the needs ofthese new applications in this highgrowthindustry.Moxtek has been the leadingmanufacturer of miniature X-raysources used in handheld XRF sincethe introduction of the Bullet X-raytube in 2001. Moxtek has focused oncontinual improvements and newapplications including hazardousmaterial screening, mining, soilanalysis, and light element alloys.