News from LabRulezICPMS Library - Week 31, 2026

Our Library never stops expanding. What are the most recent contributions to LabRulezICPMS Library in the week of 27th July 2026? Check out new documents from the field of spectroscopy/spectrometry and related techniques!

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This week we bring you application notes by Agilent Technologies, Shimadzu and Thermo Fisher Scientific!

1. Agilent Technologies: High-Precision Determination of Phosphorus and Potassium in Fertilizers by ICP-OES

Accurate nutrient analysis of fertilizers using an Agilent 5800 ICP-OES and standard bracketing

• Application note
• Full PDF for download 

Accurate characterization of fertilizer nutrient content is critical for optimizing plant growth, maximizing yield, and ensuring sustainable agricultural practices. Fertilizers must comply with strict regulatory specifications, particularly for declared NPK (nitrogen–phosphorus–potassium) ratios, which define the relative nutrient content supplied to crops. Even small deviations from the specified ratio can impact plant yield, regulatory compliance, customer confidence in the product, as well as its commercial value. 

Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) is a well-established technique for multi-element analysis of complex samples, so is ideally suited to meet the precision and accuracy requirements of fertilizer testing.1,2 However, applications that require very tight tolerances, such as NPK verification, benefit from enhanced calibration approaches as even small deviations from reported values can have large financial implications for the manufacturer.

Using Agilent ICP-OES instruments, standard bracketing calibration based on a standard–sample–standard measurement sequence, minimizes the impact of sample-to-sample variability and matrix effects.3,4 This approach further improves analytical precision and accuracy compared to conventional external calibration, making it a particularly valuable method for analyzing fertilizers with tightly controlled specifications. 

In this study, an Agilent 5800 Vertical Dual View (VDV) ICP-OES, equipped with an Agilent SPS 4 autosampler and controlled using Agilent ICP Expert Pro software,5 was used to determine P and K concentrations and corresponding NPK ratios in a standard reference material (SRM) and two commercially available fertilizers. The standard bracketing method was adapted from ISO methods 11494 and 114956,7 and adjusted for fertilizer analysis. The performance of the method, when combined with real-time data processing tools, was evaluated for accuracy and precision.

Experimental 

Instrumentation 

The Agilent 5800 VDV ICP-OES was configured with the Agilent SPS 4 autosampler, which provided automated sample delivery to the instrument (Figure 1). The 5800 ICP-OES was equipped with an Agilent SeaSpray nebulizer, double-pass cyclonic spray chamber, and one-piece VDV torch with a 1.8 mm internal diameter (ID) injector. All components were controlled by Agilent ICP Expert Pro* software. Instrument operating parameters are listed in Table 1.

Conclusion 

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the Agilent 5800 VDV ICP-OES standard bracketing method for high-precision determination of phosphorus and potassium in fertilizers. The method delivered excellent performance, with relative standard deviations below 0.1% and excellent agreement with expected NPK values, with recoveries ranging from 99 to 102%. The combination of gravimetrically prepared standards, internal standard correction, and bracketing calibration minimizes analytical variability and ensures reliable results for fertilizer quality control. 

In addition, Agilent ICP Expert Pro software streamlines analysis through real-time calculations and automated quality control tools, improving laboratory efficiency and reducing the risk of reporting errors. This approach provides a robust and practical solution for high throughput fertilizer testing laboratories, enabling precise NPK verification that strengthens regulatory compliance, reduces the risk of mislabeling, and supports accurate product pricing.

2. Shimadzu: Multifaceted Evaluation of Frozen Tempura Batter Coating Focusing on Food Texture

• Application note
• Full PDF for download

The “deliciousness” of foods consists of multiple factors, including taste, smell, and visual appeal. However, texture, sometimes called “mouthfeel,” is also one extremely important factor. Mouthfeel refers to the physical sensations experienced when food is placed in the mouth or chewed, and is expressed by various onomatopoeic words such as “crisp” and “chewy.” Among these, the packaging of some foods uses onomatopoeic terms to emphasize the appeal of their distinctive textures, and this has become an important “selling point” for consumers when deciding which product to select. 

In the development of food products, the method of evaluating texture has become a key point. Sensory methods have long been used, but because sensory evaluations depend on the human senses, they are easily influenced by differences between individuals conducting the evaluation and their physical condition.

Thus, the difficulty in ensuring repeatability is an issue. As an additional issue, technical training for the panelists who conduct evaluations also requires time and labor. To compensate for these problems, evaluation methods based on measurement of physical properties with instruments may be used. This approach eliminatesthe human error that had been a problem with sensory evaluations, enabling objective evaluations. 

Food texture is also complexly influenced by the interactions of various factors, such as the ingredients contained in the food, their amounts, and the cooking method. Since differences in these factors may appear in the structure and surface condition of foods, observation and measurement of the internalstructure and surface condition of foods make it possible to analyze and understand the factors that contribute to texture, allowing more efficient food product development from the physical viewpoint. This article introduces an example of an analysis of the differencesin texture that occur due to differences in the heating method from the aspects of evaluation of physical properties and structural and surface observation, using frozen tempura asthe testsample.

Experiment 

In this experiment, four instruments were used for evaluation of mechanical properties and structural and surface observation. Table 1 shows the names of the instruments, the purpose of the experiment, and the corresponding sectionsin this article. The test samples used here were commercially-available frozen tempura, which features “moistness” when prepared by microwave oven cooking and “crispness” after microwave oven + oven cooking. The “Moist” type is prepared by heating for 1 min in a microwave oven, and the “Crisp” type is prepared by additional heating in an oven after microwave heating. Since the heating time in the oven is adjusted depending on the sample size required by each instrument, the specific sample preparation procedure and the flow of the tests will be described in the sections concerning each instrument.

Evaluation of Coating Surface Roughness by Laser Microscope 

The laser microscope was used in high-magnification measurements of the roughness of the sample surface and color observation (color images). It is possible to grasp the differences in the batter coatings of the “Moist” and “Crisp” types from changes in roughness and also changes in color. Fig. 11 shows the appearance of the OLS5500 laser microscope used here. In this instrument, optical resolution is enhanced by using a singlewavelength 405 nm laser beam, and topographical information can be acquired by reflective confocal laser microscopy. Color images of the same field can also be obtained by using a white LED.

In this experiment, the samples were prepared by the following procedure in order to observe the same areas of the “Moist” and “Crisp” samples. First, the entire kabocha tempura was heated for 1 min in the microwave oven, after which part of the sample was cut off and observed on the stage (Fig. 12). Following this, the observed sample was heated in the oven and placed on the stage again, and the “Crisp” sample was observed (Fig. 13). To observe the shape of a wide area of the sample, an alignment (“tile-stitching”) function was used. The image acquisition condition was the ultra-high speed mode using a 20x objective lens.

Conclusion 

A sensory evaluation and evaluation of physical properties using a texture analyzer, and structural observations from the macro to the micro level using an X-ray CT, laser microscope, and SEM were conducted for frozen tempura with different food textures depending on the heating conditions. The impression of the food texture, or “mouthfeel,” obtained in the sensory evaluation was quantified in the form of physical property values by using the texture analyzer, and the factors that formed the grounds for those numerical values were then evaluated based on the results of various types of observation. As a result, it was suggested that differences in food texture correspond to changes in the food structure and oil content. 

In this experiment, different samples were examined with four types of instruments. However, if physical property tests can be carried out with the samples as-is after observation of the same areas, a more direct and high accuracy analysis is considered to be possible. Moreover, in this experiment, the food texture was changed by using different heating methods, but in cases where the ingredients (flour, oil) or the deep-frying method is changed, there is a possibility that different factors from those in this study may contribute to the texture. As demonstrated in this experiment, although “food texture” is often grasped sensorily, as suggested by the term “mouthfeel,” this property can be visualized scientifically in terms of the structure and physical properties of the food and the condition of the oil content by combining multifaceted evaluations using multiple instruments. This technique is expected to become an effective approach for reproducing and controlling the target texture in food product development and quality design.

3. Thermo Fisher Scientific: Bauxite analysis with Niton XRF analyzers

• Application note
• Full PDF for download

Globally, bauxite is the primary source of aluminum (Al) ore and anchors a major industry in many countries, including China, Australia, and Brazil. As such, grading Al concentration is of paramount interest in the mine as is the need to determine concentrations of penalty elements. The desired goal is to conduct all the analysis in a way that maximizes productivity. 

Application 

Analysis of aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), and iron (Fe) presents unique challenges. Accurate analysis of all three is critical for ore grading and understanding their influence on the processing and production of the primary metal of interest. Relying on lab-analysis only in bauxite mining operation often results in costly time delays and reduced productivity while waiting hour if not days and weeks for the results. 

With the ruggedized, dust- and splash-proof Thermo Scientific™ Niton™ XL3t GOLDD+ XRL Analyzer, near lab-quality analysis of Al, Si and Fe can be generated on sites, enabling quick decisions in at remote mines. Indeed, the Niton XL3t GOLDD+ analyzer provides rapid and accurate elemental analyses of bauxite ore enabling to map chemical concentrations in realtime, identify excavation hotspots and detect penalty elements. 

Handheld XRF analyzer 

Thermo Scientific Niton Handheld XRF analyzers, including the Niton XL3 GOLDD+ analyzer, easily analyze elements from magnesium (Mg) to uranium (U) to fill all exploration and mining needs. These instruments make it easy to perform trend analysis by averaging readings in real-time or by downloading results later to a PC. They deliver fast, accurate elemental analysis for intensive metals exploration and production whether base metals, precious metals, or even rare earth elements.

Comments 

The correlation coefficients and repeatability data for the key elements in bauxite analysis demonstrate the excellent accuracy and precision of the handheld Niton XL3 950 GOLDD+ analyzer, indicating that the Niton XL3 GOLDD+ instrument is ideal for fast mine or field analysis. The instant chemical information it provides allows the user to make critical decisions with minimal downtime, keeping projects running and productive. Additionally, they provide information that minimizes the expense and time of shipping samples for analysis and increases savings. The Thermo Scientific Niton XRF analyzer is a great addition to any process in the life of the mine.