Function：The AML518 Automated Microplastic Analyzer for Water is a high-precision instrument that integrates microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, specifically designed to identify, analyze, and characterize tiny plastic particles (ranging from the micrometer to millimeter scale) in water.
Advantages：Currently, all similar products worldwide rely on manual operation without exception; Emery is the only company to have developed an automated microplastic analyzer.
一、The world’s only fully automated system, delivering a 20-fold increase in efficiency
Currently, microplastic detection worldwide remains heavily reliant on manual processes. Traditional laboratory workflows involve multiple steps—such as sample pretreatment, slide preparation, microscopic observation, spectral acquisition, and data comparison—which are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and prone to human error.
The AML518 Microplastic Analyzer for Water is the first to incorporate a robotic arm and an intelligent integrated operation system, enabling automatic sample handling, focusing, scanning, verification, and report generation.
The sample rack accommodates 10–20 microscope slides, and the instrument supports continuous 24-hour operation, boosting efficiency by up to 20 times compared to manual methods.
二、Comparison of Three Technical Approaches: Raman Spectroscopy Emerges as the Winner
There are currently three mainstream technologies for microplastic analysis:
- Infrared Spectroscopy: Struggles to identify particles smaller than 10 µm; requires dry sample preparation (precluding wet analysis) and involves expensive equipment.
- Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC-MS): Capable of detecting nanoplastics but entails extremely high costs, making widespread adoption difficult.
- Raman Spectroscopy: Accurately identifies various types of microplastics; supports wet analysis, requires no complex sample pretreatment, and offers excellent cost-effectiveness.
The AML518 ultimately utilizes Raman spectroscopy technology, supporting the identification of microplastics in the 300 µm to 5000 µm (0.3 mm to 5 mm) range. It employs a dual-laser design (785 nm/1064 nm) to effectively mitigate fluorescence interference, achieving an optimal balance between accuracy and cost.
三、Automated workflow enabling unattended operation
The AML518 features a fully optimized workflow:
Flexible operation: Users can choose between fully automated, semi-automated, and manual modes to meet diverse testing requirements.
Pre-treatment: Samples undergo oxidation, digestion, sedimentation, vacuum filtration, and transfer to prepare slides.
Robotic handling: Automated, seamless slide loading and unloading.
Intelligent detection: The microscope automatically focuses and images the sample in a 12-grid layout, creating profiles for each microplastic particle (including coordinates, morphology, and particle size).
Spectral identification: A dual-optical-path design enhances signal sensitivity, followed by automated database matching and classification.
Verification mechanism: Suspected samples undergo automatic recalibration and re-testing to ensure reliable results.
One-click reporting: Automated generation of test reports containing images, data, and classification results.