X-ray Device Makes Scrubbing Rugs Clean a Spotless Effort

About this technology

Overview

An X-ray fluorescence (XRF) sensor utilized by NASA to conduct quality control for critical aluminum alloy parts destined for the space shuttle has found another use as a tool that can measure how much soil is removed from household and commercial carpets. This breakthrough came courtesy of NASA and KeyMaster, in collaboration with the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI). The three entities worked together to establish a multifaceted testing program that utilizes an XRF-detectable soil media that can be quantified after a carpet cleaning, to measure the effectiveness of a given cleaning system. This designer soil" contains properties similar to soil found in carpeting throughout the country according to CRI. Using the commercial spinoff tool called the TRACeR III-V scanner laboratories can measure the starting compound applied to a carpet sample and then quantify the precise amount of soil removed following a cleaning. The scanner can additionally be used to determine the amount of water being removed from a carpet during a cleaning in the event of a spill or if a wet-vac had been used. To measure how well an extractor (vacuum cleaner) recovers water a carpet sample is weighed before and after the testing process to determine how much water remained. The XRF testing also evaluates surface-appearance changes in carpeting as a result of vacuuming. This test is included because experience has shown that some extraction machines can cause excessive wear on carpet according to CRI."