Food and Food Chemistry
XPS for surface analytics in near ambient conditions is compatible with most materials, usually not suitable for such a surface sensitive technique. Using NAP XPS allows to collect a chemical fingerprint of the topmost atoms covering a substance, hence providing sensitive information of smallest contamination on surfaces.
In food industry and food chemicals, knowledge about surface contamination within processes is crucial, as smallest residuals can cause harmful reactions in the metabolism. Such surface contaminations are usually invisible to most established techniques like EDX or XRF, as the surface only marks a tiny fraction of the studied material. In XPS, only the first atomic layers are considered, making this technology ideal for quality and contamination control.
