MICAP-OES 1000
Simultaneous multi-element determination in prepared solutions — without argon, without a chiller, at a fraction of conventional ICP-OES running cost.
Same function, different physics.
The MICAP-OES 1000 is a Microwave Inductively Coupled Atmospheric Plasma – Optical Emission Spectrometer operating at 1000 W. It performs the same analytical function as a conventional ICP-OES — simultaneous multi-element determination in prepared solutions — but generates its plasma using microwave energy and nitrogen rather than radio-frequency energy and argon.
Less than 3% average RSD over 8 hours.
An 8-hour stability study on a standard in 2% nitric acid matrix, tracking 20+ elements simultaneously (Ag, Al, B, Ba, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, In, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sr, Tl and Zn), demonstrated sub-3% average RSD. For a production laboratory, this determines how often re-calibration interrupts the run — a full working shift can be run without recalibration breaks.
The components that fail on a conventional ICP-OES don't exist on this one.
Why this matters for a South African buyer. MAD's core differentiator is service response and local parts — customers buy on uptime. An instrument whose most common maintenance tasks are user-performable, backed by a supplier holding local stock, addresses the uptime concern from both directions at once.
EPA-calculator equivalences published by Radom: 244 homes' annual electricity use · 280 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles · 141,357 gallons of gasoline · 152,812,225 smartphones charged.
Why this matters commercially, not just reputationally. Large South African corporates — mining houses, food manufacturers, petrochemical producers — report on Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and increasingly require suppliers to evidence contribution to reduction targets. A laboratory instrument with a documented, quantified emissions reduction is a procurement argument inside those organisations, not only an environmental one, and a differentiator in public tenders where sustainability criteria are scored.
Independent users, in their own words.
The Gothenburg comment points at direct coupling of laser ablation to MICAP-OES for field-based solid sampling — MAD represents Teledyne Photon Machines laser ablation systems separately. Whether Radom supports this coupling is a question we are putting to them; ask our applications team for the current status.
Where South African laboratories use it.
Gold assay from aqua regia digestion; base metal analysis; grade control; on-site exploration core screening.
Metals in water, soil and effluent; laboratories needing multi-element capability without argon infrastructure.
SANS 241 metals compliance at sites where argon delivery is unreliable.
Heavy metals to Regulation 588 of 2018; mineral and nutritional element determination.
Teaching laboratories and shared facilities where operating cost and simplicity matter.
The clearest upgrade path — simultaneous multi-element capability, 4× throughput, no combustible gases.
See the MICAP-OES 1000 running your samples
Request a demonstration or ask our applications team about method transfer from your existing ICP-OES.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Width | 24 in (62 cm) |
| Depth | 20 in (50 cm) |
| Height | 22 in (55 cm) |
| Weight | 67 lb (30 kg) |
| Power | 1000 W plasma |
| Plasma gas | Nitrogen |
| Cooling | None required — no water or air cooling |
| Software | RIS (Radom Intuitive Software) |
| Warranty | 2 years (versus typical 1 year) |
| Detector | High-resolution echelle polychromator with CMOS detector |
| Wavelength | Element line | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| 202.584 nm | Zn | 5 pm |
| 360.534 nm | Cr | 11 pm |
| 455.403 nm | Ba | 14 pm |
| 588.996 nm | Na | 21 pm |
| 610.364 nm | Li | 30 pm |
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Autosampler | Teledyne CETAC Technologies ASX-560 |
| Sample tubing | Black/black PVC, 0.76 mm ID |
| Drain tubing | Yellow/blue PVC, 1.52 mm ID |
| Nebulizer | Low-flow quartz nebulizer, 1.0 mL/min |
| Spray chamber | Single-pass cyclonic |
| Torch | 20 mm quartz torch with 1.5 mm injector |
| CRM ID | Certified (ppm) | Prep 1 | Prep 2 | Recovery 1 | Recovery 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 238 | 2.95 | 2.99 | 2.84 | 101% | 96% |
| 242 | 8.33 | 6.95 | 7.28 | 83% | 87% |
| 255b | 4.08 | 3.82 | 3.77 | 94% | 92% |
| 256b | 7.58 | 7.61 | 7.13 | 100% | 94% |
| 257b | 14.17 | 14.55 | 15.42 | 103% | 109% |
| ICP-OES | MICAP-OES | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $109,836 | $82,067 |
| Year 2 | $33,336 | $7,067 |
| Year 3 | $33,336 | $7,067 |
| Total (3-year) | $176,508 | $96,200 |
| Flame AA | MICAP-OES | |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation time | 2 hr | — |
| Setup / warm-up | 3 hr | — |
| Analysis time | 3 hr | 2 hr |
| Total | 8 hr | 2 hr |
Questions we are asked about the MICAP-OES 1000.
No. Cerawave technology eliminates the electric water-cooled coil found in conventional ICP-OES instruments, so the MICAP-OES 1000 needs no water or air cooling — and removes the risk of chiller malfunction or overheating in a poorly ventilated area.
A 2-year warranty, versus the typical 1-year warranty on conventional instruments. The first-year service package includes user-replaceable components: peristaltic pump, fibre optic cable, collimator, and a second starter kit — most routine maintenance is end-user performable without waiting for a service engineer.
Every wetted component — the quartz torch, low-flow nebulizer, cyclonic spray chamber and injector — is a Precision Glassblowing product category, supplied locally through MAD alongside the ASX-560 autosampler's own consumables.
Standard prepared solutions, as for any ICP-OES. The published gold-in-ore study used aqua regia digestion — 2 g sample to 50 mL, prepared in duplicate — with no additional dilution required before analysis.
The absence of a chiller and water-cooling requirement suits harsh or off-grid-style deployment. A major gold mining company user in the US already runs MICAP-OES as a replacement for AA, MP-AES and ICP-OES systems in harsh mining environments, and the Danish Offshore Technology Centre notes its applicability on oil platforms.
Radom publishes typical resolution figures down to 5 pm (at the Zn 202.584 nm line) and a full periodic table of typical detection limits and resolution per element. Ask our applications team for the element-by-element comparison against your current platform.
The workflow around the MICAP-OES 1000.
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