For the past three years, Alpha HPA has relied on specialist laboratories interstate to verify the absence of trace impurities in our products, testing that is required by customers in semiconductor and other advanced technology applications. That capability is now available in Gladstone, significantly reducing testing turnaround times while lowering the cost of external analysis.
Alpha HPA has commissioned a new PerkinElmer NexION 5000 ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer) at its Gladstone operations, bringing advanced analytical testing in-house and significantly reducing turnaround times for critical product analysis.
Previously, samples were sent to a specialist laboratory in Perth, with results often taking up to six weeks to be returned. The new capability enables testing to be completed on site, allowing Alpha HPA to access analytical data in hours rather than weeks.
The NexION 5000 is one of the most advanced multi-quadrupole mass spectrometers available and can detect elements at extremely low concentrations. The instrument is currently being used to analyse Alpha HPA products for uranium and thorium, supporting customer requirements for highly sensitive applications including semiconductor manufacturing.
With the capability to detect less than 0.2 parts per billion (ppb) of uranium and thorium, the instrument provides a "proof of zero" capability, helping verify the absence of these elements in Alpha HPA's ultra-high purity aluminium products.
Laboratory Superintendent Ronald Janssen said the instrument would play an increasingly important role as production volumes grow and customer requirements continue to evolve.
"Advanced analytical capability is often concentrated in major capital cities. Having this technology available in Gladstone allows us to build specialist expertise in regional Queensland while supporting the quality and performance requirements of global customers."
The technology provides additional confidence in Alpha HPA's ability to verify product purity and meet increasingly stringent analytical requirements. It is also another step in building globally competitive advanced manufacturing capability in regional Queensland, supported by world-class analytical infrastructure and specialist expertise.
