Spectro Analytical Instruments (www.spectro.com) has developed a battery-powered, hand-held spectrometer that can be used for on-site analysis of iron, nickel, titanium, aluminum, copper and cobalt metals. The company says the Spectrol iSort has a unique scrubbing system for the analyzing the carbon content of iron. The unit is equipped with an optic, readout system, power distributor, battery and cleaning system, and weighs less than 10 lbs. (4.5 kg). The sample probe includes arc excitation ignition and a personal digital assistant (PDA) for data display and evaluation. The analyzer uses arc excitation ignition so it does not need to use argon or a radioactive source to perform an analysis.