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The guideline value for chromium in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) «Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality» is 50 µg/L. It should be noted here that chromium concentrations are often expressed as total chromium and not as chromium(III) or (VI). Chromium(VI) is responsible for changes in genetic material, and is found in significantly lower concentrations than Cr(III). Therefore an extremely sensitive method is required to monitor Cr(VI) in drinking water.The powerful adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) technique on the ex-situ mercury film modified glassy carbon electrode using DTPA as complexing agent can be used to determine such low concentrations.

Electroless nickel plating ensures low-cost wear and corrosion resistance. Monitoring lead stabilizer levels in Ni plating baths is possible with the Bi drop electrode.

Karl Fischer reagents contain buffer substances (usually imidazole) since the reaction constant is dependent on the pH value. A constant pH therefore ensures the most repeatable results. In 2015, imidazole was classified by European Union the as a CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic) substance and the statement H360D was added, stating possible harm to fertility or a fetus. Meanwhile, other reagents free of imidazole are available for purchase. This Application Note summarizes test measurements with 34433 HYDRANAL™ NEXTGEN Coulomat AG-FI.

Hydrochloric acid is a strong, inorganic mineral acid with great significance in the chemical industry. The potentiometric titration of hydrochloric acid with sodium hydroxide is one of the most important and also most frequent analyses performed in the laboratory. In this Application Note, an acid-base titration is presented where the concentration of HCl is determined with NaOH using a pH electrode with an integrated Pt1000 temperature senor for the most accurate results

To reduce the toxic effects of cadmium on the human body, as well as to limit the neurotoxic effects of lead, the provisional guideline values in the World Health Organization’s «Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality» are set to a maximum concentration of 3 µg/L for cadmium and 10 µg/L for lead. The completely mercury-free Bi drop electrode takes the next step towards converting voltammetric analysis into a non-toxic approach for heavy metal detection. Using this environmentally friendly sensor for anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) allows the simultaneous determination of Cd and Pb in drinking water. The outstanding sensitivity is more than sufficient to monitor the provisional WHO guideline values.

To reduce the toxic effects of cadmium on the kidneys, skeleton, and the respiratory system, as well as the neurotoxic effects of lead, the provisional guideline values in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) «Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality» are set to a maximum concentration of 3 µg/L for cadmium and 10 µg/L for lead.The powerful anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) technique on the ex-situ mercury film modified glassy carbon electrode is more than sufficient to monitor the proposed WHO guidelines for Cd and Pb in drinking water.

Due to the toxicity and the detrimental effects of nickel and cobalt on human health, their concentrations in drinking water must be controlled. Therefore, EU the legislation specifies 20 µg/L as the limit value for nickel in drinking water. The current provisional guideline value for Ni in the World Health Organization’s «Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality» is set to a maximum concentration of 70 µg/L. To monitor the concentrations of Ni and Co with the 884 Professional VA, a method for simultaneous determination on the glassy carbon electrode (GC-RDE) modified with a Bi film is used.

To improve the performance of electrochemical energy storage devices like batteries and supercapacitors, one can focus on enhancing the ion conductivity (ƠDC) of the electrolyte. It is a common method for obtaining ƠDC values of different electrolyte systems, to carry out electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) experiments, at different temperatures, in a 2-electrode setup.

Many of the key factors that influence coffee taste correlate with chemical properties that can be measured. These include pH, titratable acidity, refractive index, and caffeine. Historically, many of these analyses have included long, manual sample preparation processes using the time-consuming, liquid chromatography (LC) technique. This Application Note looks at a faster, simpler, alternative method for analysis of key quality parameters in coffee using a single titration platform: OMNIS.

In this Application Note, the 893 Professional Biodiesel Rancimat measures the oxidation stability of biodiesel (or fatty acid methyl esters, FAME), an eco-friendly fuel.

Methanol, often present in spirits prepared with industrial solvents like wood alcohol, can lead to blindness and even death when ingested. After an incident involving methanol-laced alcohol in the Czech Republic, they adopted Raman spectroscopy as the preferred method for identifying and quantifying methanol in contaminated spirits, following an exhaustive study using various screening tools. This Application Note discusses the reasons why Raman spectroscopy is the ideal choice for this application and shows a real-world example of Raman analysis of methanol-laced rum.

The planarity and smoothness of silicon wafers are fundamental to manufacture optimal semiconductor devices, and Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) is the most common technology used to achieve ultra-flat surfaces. A slurry is used for this purpose, composed of deionized water, a colloidal silicon or alumina liquid dispersion, and hydrogen peroxide, which has to be constantly monitored at all times.Online monitoring of the CMP process is necessary to avoid chemical waste and enhance wafer production yields. Metrohm Process Analytics can measure not only the H2O2 concentration, but also pH, conductivity, and temperature using the multipurpose 2060 Process Analyzer.

Sustainable biodiesel can be blended with petroleum diesel. The 893 Professional Biodiesel Rancimat measures the oxidation stability of biodiesel and its blends.

An ion chromatography (IC) assay with suppressed conductivity detection is the standardized way to accurately quantify phosphate in phosphates compounded injections.

Nitrosamine presence in medicines, even at trace level poses high safety risks to patients (carcinogenic). Nitrosamine formation can be avoided by controlling and monitoring the nitrite concentration in pharmaceutical products and substances. This Application Note describes the analysis of nitrite in duloxetine hydrochloride with ion chromatography (IC).

Nitrosamine formation can be avoided by controlling the nitrite concentration in pharmaceutical products and processes. To monitor nitrosamine formation, sensitive analytical methods such as ion chromatography for the determination of nitrite in pharmaceutical products and substances are essential.

Permanganate absorption number (PAN) analysis per ISO 8660 ensures caprolactam purity, a precursor of Nylon 6. This application describes real-time, continuous PAN monitoring.

Higher antioxidant levels mean longer product viability. The 892 Professional Rancimat determines antioxidant content in many products using a linear regression method.

Handheld Raman spectroscopy enables rapid polymer masterbatch analysis, while Metrohm’s XTR® algorithm mitigates fluorescence interference for accurate additive identification.

Spectroelectrochemical experiments not only provide outstanding qualitative information about samples, but also offer other quantitative data that can be considered when performing analyses. A single set of experiments allows analysts to obtain two calibration curves: one with the electrochemical data and another with the spectroscopic information. The concentration of tested samples is calculated by using both curves, confirming the obtained results by two different routes. In this Application Note, comparison between electrochemical and spectroscopic determinations demonstrates that the two methods measure uric acid (UA) indistinctively, with close agreement of the calculated values with empirical data.

Raw oil contains several percent by weight of sulfur compounds. They not only have an unpleasant smell, they are also environmentally harmful and corrosive which is why they must be largely removed during refining. The 2045TI Ex proof Analyzer with a flexible sample pretreatment system is to be found in a very wide variety of refinery applications. On the one hand, it monitors mercaptan and H2S content in accordance with ASTM D3227 and UOP163; on the other hand it can be used for the determination of ammonia, halogen and phenol content as well as for the bromide index, saponification and acid number. The analyzer fulfills EU Directive 94/9/EC (ATEX95) and is certified for Zones 1 and 2.

This Process Application Note presents a method to accurately monitor lactic acid and glucose inside a bioreactor in «real-time» with the 2060 Raman Analyzer from Metrohm Process Analytics.

N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP) is crucial for lithium-ion battery production. Metrohm’s intelligent Preconcentration Technique with Matrix Elimination enables µg/L-level anion analysis in NMP.

Tafel analysis is an important electrochemical technique used to understand reaction kinetics. By studying the Tafel slope, it reveals the rate-determining steps in electrode reactions, aiding fields like corrosion and fuel cell research. This method helps industries optimize processes and improve device performance by tailoring materials and conditions for greater efficiency.

This Application Note highlights the use of Metrohm Hyphenated EC-Raman Solutions to monitor the reversible oxidation of ferrocyanide at a gold electrode. Variations of the band intensities with the potential can be used to track relative changes in the concentration profile of ferrocyanide and ferricyanide at the surface of the electrode during cyclic voltammetry (CV).

Application: Free and total carbohydrate determination in instant coffee with IC-PAD according to AOAC 996.04 and ISO 11292.

Accurate analysis of complexing agents in galvanic baths is possible with inline Raman spectroscopy. This Application Note shows an example using a 2060 Raman Analyzer.

Nitrite and nitrate salts are used as preservatives for meat and meat products. Nitrate salts (labeled E 251 or E 252) have a low toxicity but long-term exposure is of concern, as the lower gut reduces them to nitrite, a precursor of nitrosamines (classified as carcinogenic). Nitrite itself is classified as probably carcinogenic to humans. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) lists the MPL (maximum permitted levels) after the manufacturing process for nitrite (labeled E 249 or E 250) as between 50–180 mg/kg, and for nitrate between 150–300 mg/kg, depending on the product. The European Commission (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008) limits nitrate and nitrite salts in processed meat to less than 150 mg/kg. Ion chromatography with UV detection offers a robust and universal method for quality control of nitrite and nitrate in different meat matrices. Additional sample preparation techniques like Inline Ultrafiltration help to save time and costs as well as overcome analysis issues with difficult sample matrices.

Portable Raman spectroscopy is an invaluable tool in the study of archaeological sites, allowing for in situ analysis which minimizes the impact of such studies on important cultural sites. The flexibility of the use of a fiber optic probe and tripod-mounted video microscope with a light weight instrument reduces the need for sampling, and increases the ability to make representative measurements over what can be very large sample areas. The information content of Raman spectroscopy aids in the understanding of the materials used in the construction and restoration of important archaeological sites, and in understanding the degradation that is occurring which should aid in preservation and restoration work.

This Application Note presents the Mott-Schottky measurement, an extension of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), on a popular semiconducting material.

This Application Note shows how AUTOLAB and NOVA is used to perform GITT tests on a Li-ion battery. Here,galvanostatic charge pulses are applied, each followed by relaxation time, until the upper potential limit is reached. Then, discharge pulses are applied, followed by equilibration time, until the lower potential limit is reached. From the potential vs. time plot, important information for calculating the diffusion coefficient and thermodynamics parameters quantities can be obtained.

A typical electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) experimental setup consists of an electrochemical cell, a potentiostat/galvanostat, and a frequency response analyzer (FRA). This Application Note introduces common EIS experimental setups as well as details of the main experimental parameters.

Worldwide, milk and dairy products are vital sources for human nutrition. A major component and energy source in dairy products is lactose. To efficiently metabolize lactose, the enzyme lactase is indispensable. However, globally nearly 70% of the population is lactose intolerant and they have difficulties to digest lactose. Lactose malabsorption leads to numerous gastrointestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms and other complaints with varying extents. Therefore, consumers rely on accurate food labels and for manufacturers appropriate sensitive analytical techniques are a must to comply with these demands. Ion chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (IC-PAD) enables the determination of very low lactose contents. Validation according to AOAC requirements shows the high sensitivity and reliability of this method as a routine analysis.