Emerging from the Institut Lumière Matière (ILM), the deeptech start-up ABLATOM has introduced ABLASCAN, an intelligent LIBS microscope capable of reliably and automatically revealing the atomic composition of materials in milliseconds, the company reported.
LIBS is an entirely optical analysis technique that reveals the chemical composition of any material (solid, liquid or gas) in just a few milliseconds. Its principle involves focusing a brief laser pulse to sample a fraction of material, forming a plasma. The optical emissions from this plasma are analyzed to detect, identify, map and quantify the material's chemical elements.
Key competitive advantages:
- Sampling, excitation and detection in a single process
- Instant chemical composition analysis
- Detection of all periodic table elements, including light elements
- Large surface mapping at micrometric resolution.
"Backed by 15 years of R&D, this customizable, plug & play microscope democratizes cutting-edge laser technology previously difficult to access to meet the needs of laboratories and industries across the entire material lifecycle," said a company spokesperson. "With ABLASCAN, there is no need to be a chemist, physicist or data processing expert. Enhanced by AI, this innovation significantly accelerates and automates the chemical analysis of materials at the microscopic level. Its speed outperforms conventional equipment by 2.5x to 10x, even on large surfaces. This revolutionary technology enables resource tracking in ores, maps lithium distribution in batteries, identifies metal fragility in nuclear applications and ensures the quality control of strategic metals in recycled waste streams."
ABLASCAN is a major breakthrough in the context of energy transition and reindustrialization, the company noted. "Until now, LIBS technology required advanced expertise and large-scale installations," said the spokesperson. "With ABLASCAN, ABLATOM transforms this technology into a compact, automated, user-friendly and widely accessible tool.
ABLASCAN addresses two fundamental needs:
- For laboratories: An open tool that expands scientific exploration and accelerates the discovery and development of new material properties.
- For industries: A fast, ergonomic solution deployable directly on site, eliminating the lengthy and costly processes of traditional lab-based analysis.
"ABLASCAN delivers analysis speeds up to 10x faster than conventional LIBS equipment, performing 1 million chemical measurements in just 15 minutes compared to 3-15 hours using traditional techniques," said the spokesperson. "This innovation opens new avenues for exploration, scanning large surfaces (for instance, 200 sq. cm) in a single sequence while maintaining micrometric resolution under ambient temperature and pressure conditions. Versatile and adaptable, ABLASCAN is suitable for a wide range of materials-metals, plastics, ceramics, glass and rocks-throughout their lifecycle, from extraction to recycling."
Its specifications rely on advanced algorithms developed by ABLATOM, which automatically identify a material's chemical elements with accuracy. In just minutes, any operator can obtain a qualitative and quantitative analysis report, including optical images and detailed chemical maps of the material.
In recycling, by scanning materials directly, with little to no sample preparation, it delivers representative analyses in just minutes, enabling the precise valuation of valuable resources. This level of precision is crucial for qualifying recycling processes, stabilizing costs and optimizing material recovery.
ABLASCAN also enables the development of new materials, accelerating research into next-generation applications. Its ability to quickly explore previously unknown chemical properties drives innovation and supports key sectors, such as renewable energy and the circular economy.
For more information contact:
ABLATOM
contact@ablatom.com
www.ablatom.com