Wednesday, November 21, 2018

What Are Laboratory Moisture Analyzers?

Moisture analysers are specialist laboratory instruments for determining moisture content in solid or semi-solid materials. They are used to speedily heat small food samples with built-in halogen lamps which can then be weighed precisely (typically in grams) using a loss-on-drying technique.

Moisture analyzers, also known moisture balances, are instruments that automatically determine the amount of moisture present in a sample. Moisture balances are utilized in several industries, such as pharmaceuticals, food as well as plastics, for quality control. Some moisture balance analyzer use a loss on drying technique to determine the percentage of moisture in the sample. The sample is located on a weighing mechanism as well as then a warmth source is turned on.

The manual laboratory technique is relatively slow, so automated moisture analysers have been developed that can reduce the time needed for a test from a couple hours to just a few minutes. These analysers incorporate an electronic balance with a sample tray as well as surrounding heating element. Under microprocessor control the sample can be heated quickly and a result computed prior to the completion of the process, based on the moisture loss rate, known as a drying curve.

In this technique, a sample of material is weighed, heated in an oven for an appropriate period, cooled in the dry atmosphere of a desiccators as well as then re-weighed. If the volatile content of the solid is primarily water, the LOD technique offers a good measure of moisture content.

Moisture content is analyzed by determining the dissimilarity between the weight of the sample before and after evaporation. Other moisture balances might utilize absorption spectroscopy, where the gas from the evaporated moisture makes a spectrum that may be analyzed for content. Known for its accuracy, this analyzer is used for industrial as well as domestic places for analyzing the moisture present in different objects. This allows each of the products to be precisely advanced as well as updated in every way possible.

Considerations for purchasing a moisture analyzer

A moisture analyzer consists of a heating device as well as an integrated balance. A fault in either component, or external influences such as the ambient temperature or drafts, may potentially cause errors in results. In order to verify that outcome are accurate as well as conform to quality regulations if necessary, it is crucial to be sure that both components − the balance as well as the heating source − are functioning correctly.

Moisture analyzers can have features that vary between models. Among these features are speed, sample capacity, heat source, ease of user interface, scale resolution, customizable programs as well as the percentage of moisture that may be detected.

How moisture analyzers work

Most moisture analyzers today work on what is called the thermo gravimetric principal – that is determining the lost of weight on drying (LOD).   The loss represents the amount of moisture offered off during the drying process while the modify in weight is recorded by the analytical balances.  Testing procedures are programmed into to the balance as well as the modify in weight is continually calculated as it performs the drying operation. Because of tiny sample sizes the analysis can be accomplished very rapidly.

Drying temperature is supplied by either infrared or halogen heaters with the latter technology being most prevalent because it can be utilized to determine the moisture content of nearly any substance.  It is also faster than infrared drying.  Microwave drying is another technology however these instruments are somewhat larger and significantly more expensive than halogen-heated moisture analyzers.

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