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Moisture Analyzer is Critical Quality Control Tool
Moisture Analyzer is Critical Quality Control Tool
A Moisture analyzer (also called moisture balance), is a precision instrument that provides documentable data on moisture content, or the percentage of moisture in a product
South Orange,
New Jersey,
United States of America
(prbd.net)
01/04/2010
"More practical and more accurate is a compact tabletop moisture analyzer or moisture balance to accomplish the same results in minutes."
A Moisture analyzer (also called moisture balance), is a precision instrument that provides documentable data on moisture content, or the percentage of moisture in a product. Moisture content standards apply to virtually any product – examples being pharmaceuticals, textiles, wood products, food products, sewage sludge, soaps, fertilizers and tobacco.
Why Moisture Content is Important
Integrity and processing practices are two key reasons why moisture content is important. As an easily understood example, when you buy poultry by the pound, you don’t want to be paying for too much water. But since water is very much a part of fresh poultry the packagers indicate water content on the label, e.g. “less than 1 percent retained water.” Dried fruits, mortar mix, fertilizers and paint will have quality affected by incorrect moisture content. As one example, throughout the production steps for sugar, moisture content should range between 0.02 and 0.05 percent.
Measuring moisture content can be done by using drying ovens, a process that can take hours. The weighed product is placed in the oven, heated for an extended period, cooled in a dry atmosphere then weighed again. The weight difference is called the loss on drying.
More practical and more accurate is a compact tabletop moisture analyzer or moisture balance to accomplish the same results in minutes. Moisture analyzers such as the 13-pound KERN MLS model available from Tovatech replace large drying ovens with a halogen heater mounted on a precision balance.
Simple Operation
Operating a moisture analyzer is relatively simple although it does require technicians to carefully program the parameters in accordance with the product being analyzed. The product is placed on a sample pan. Care should be taken to spread the product across the surface of the sample pan, avoiding mounds or otherwise uneven distribution. The pan is put into a sample pan holder, which in turn is placed on the pan support mounted in the moisture balance and the cover closed. The balance records the weight and the pre-programmed drying process begins. Analysis ends when either a pre-set time is reached or the weight of the product stabilizes or when the loss of weight falls below the target value. Results displayed on the LCD panel can be printed and recorded in accordance with GLP.
Different products react differently to halogen heating and this must be taken into account when operating a moisture balance. For example, some products may develop a skin when subjected to heat, and this will impede evaporation. Light colored products will reflect heat whereas dark products will absorb heat. Products that may spatter should be placed under a fiberglass filter. These and other factors govern the programming and use of the moisture analyzer in accordance with operating instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Because environmental conditions impact moisture content, products being measured should be protected as much as possible from extremes in humidity. A recommended procedure for ongoing analysis of a product – such as batches of plastic resins – is to store samples in sealed containers in the analysis room.
As with all precision scales and analytical balances, moisture analyzers should be periodically recalibrated for weighing accuracy and temperature accuracy.
About
Tovatech is a distributor of laboratory equipment to the US, Canada, and Mexico. The company specializes in digital scales, pharmaceutical laboratory equipment and ultrasonic cleaners. Tovatech is staffed by chemists and engineers dedicated to providing the right equipment for the food, drug, chemical, healthcare, and equipment manufacturing and maintenance sectors.
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