Application Finder

The present Application Bulletin contains NIR applications and feasibility studies for NIRSystems devices in the chemical industry. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of a wide variety of samples are part of this bulletin. Each application describes the instrument that was originally used for the analysis, as well as the system recommended for the analysis and the results that were achieved thereby.

The present Application Bulletin contains NIR applications and feasibility studies using NIRSystems devices in the pharmaceutical industry. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of a wide variety of samples are part of this bulletin. Each application describes the instrument that was originally used for the analysis, as well as the system recommended for the analysis and the results that were achieved thereby.

Near-infrared spectroscopy is used for a wide range of analyses. Thanks to its fast and non-destructive determination, NIRS is outstandingly suited to quality control of products and raw materials, whether during production or on the finished product. This Application Bulletin shows NIR applications and feasibility studies from the lacquer and paint industry performed using NIRSystems devices.

The present Application Bulletin contains NIR applications for the determination of important parameters for pulp and paper quality analysis. Each application describes the instrument that was originally used for the analysis, as well as the system recommended for the analysis and the results that were achieved thereby.

The present Application Bulletin describes applications that use near-infrared spectroscopy. Each application describes the used and alternatively deployable spectrometer as well as analysis conditions and results and, where available, information on feasibility studies.

The present Application Bulletin elucidates several applications for the polymer industry that can be carried out with the aid of NIR instruments. This Bulletin contains analyses of a wide range of parameters in a very large array of samples. The hydroxyl number is one of the best-known of the parameters that can be determined rapidly using near-infrared spectroscopy. The determination of the hydroxyl number in different areas and in different polyol types is also a part of this Bulletin. Each application describes the sample and the instrument that was originally used for the analysis, as well as the recommended instruments and the results.

This Application Bulletin describes the determination of arsenic in water samples by anodic stripping voltammetry using the scTRACE Gold sensor. This method makes it possible to distinguish between As(total) and As(III). With a deposition time of 60 s, the limit of detection for As(total) is 0.9 µg/L, for As(III) it is 0.3 µg/L.

MATi 11 (MATi = Metrohm Automated Titration) is a completely configured system for water content determination in solid or liquid samples using automated volumetric Karl Fischer titration. It contains a Polytron PT 1300 D for the homogenization of the samples. Up to 53 samples are analyzed directly in 120 mL titration beakers. The samples are weighed in the titration beaker and sealed with aluminum foil and a foil holder so that they neither lose nor absorb water.

This Application Bulletin serves as the manual for the "Polytron PT 1300 D" (Polytron) homogenizer.

The Application Bulletin describes the determination of suppressor in acid copper baths by smartDT. The determination of suppressor with dilution titration (DT) involves numerous additions with standard solution or sample to reach the evaluation ratio. Usually fixed, equidistant addition volumes are used. With smartDT, variable addition volumes are used that are dynamically calculated by the software. At the beginning, the volumes are bigger. Towards the evaluation ratio, the addition volume becomes smaller to guarantee a good accuracy of the result. The operator defines the first and the smallest addition volume to be used. All volumes in between are calculated by the software considering the progress of the determination. The time saving with smartDT compared to a classic DT with fixed addition volumes can be up to 40%. smartDT is suitable for nonlinear regression and quadratic regression as well as linear interpolation. It can be used for determination of suppressor in acid copper baths as well as in tin and tin-lead baths and works with 1, 2, and 3 mm Pt working electrodes. A 800 Dosino is required for the automatic addition of suppressor standard or sample. The method can also be used in fully automated systems.

MATi 4 (Metrohm Automated Titration) is a configured system for automated water content determination in liquid samples using coulometric Karl Fischer titration. The maximum sample volume is 5 mL. Up to 160 samples are filled in glass vials and sealed with lids. This ensures that the water content in the samples remains constant. The samples are aspirated and transferred into the coulometric cell through a needle. The tiamo™ software controls the system.

This Application Bulletin describes the determination of inorganic mercury in water samples by anodic stripping voltammetry using the scTRACE Gold sensor. With a deposition time of 90 s, calibration is linear up to a concentration of 30 µg/L; the limit of detection lies at 0.5 µg/L.

This Application Bulletin compares the unique focusing technology of the portable Metrohm Raman system "Mira" with conventional methods. The method described here is called Orbital Raster Scan (ORS). Experiments show the advantages of ORS technology, using determination and quantification of medicines as an example. It improves the reproducibility of the Raman signals from targeted, active, pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in effervescent, cold medicines. Shorter analysis times and an improved, consistent assignment of spectra of the known medicine with the help of a spectral library are further advantages of ORS technology.

This Application contains information regarding titer determination in Karl Fischer titration, in particular regarding the water standard suitable for a titer determination and for the correct handling of the same.Titer determination for Karl Fischer titrants is indispensable, because the titer is subject to changes caused by the humidity in the air. The frequency of the determination depends on the titrant and the tightness of the system.The titer has the unit mg/mL in Karl Fischer titration. The value calculated in a titer determination indicates how many milligrams of water react on one milliliter of titrant.

This Application Bulletin contains the installation instructions for the 884 Professional VA semiautomated MME. This is a system for the determination of heavy metals and other voltammetrically active substances with automatic addition of auxiliary and standard solutions.

This Application Bulletin contains the installation instructions for the MVA-22. This is a completely automated system for the determination of heavy metals and other voltammetrically active substances.

This Application Bulletin describes the determination of the total acid number in various oil samples by catalytic thermometric titration as per ASTM D8045.

This Bulletin describes the automatic measurement of conductivity in water samples with low electrical conductivity in accordance with USP<645>. Conductivity measurement is demonstrated on the example of ultrapure water, which is used, among other things, to produce injection solutions in the pharmaceutical sector.

Copper is one of the few metals which is available in nature also in its metallic form. This and the fact that it is rather easy to smelt led to intense use of this metal already in the so-called Copper and Bronze Age. Nowadays, it is more important than ever, because of its good electrical conductivity and its other physical properties. For plants and animals, it is an essential trace element; for bacteria, in contrast, it is highly toxic.This Application Bulletin describes the determination of copper by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) using the scTRACE Gold electrode. With a deposition time of 30 s, the limit of detection is about 0.5 μg/L.

This Application Bulletin describes the methods for the determination of uranium by adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) according to DIN 38406 part 17. The method is suitable for the analysis of ground, drinking, sea, surface and cooling waters, in which the concentration of uranium is of importance. The methods can, of course, also be used for the trace analysis in other matrices.Uranium is determined as chloranilic acid complex. The limit of detection in samples with low chloride concentration is about 50 ng/L and in seawater about 1 µg/L. Matrices with high chloride content can only be analyzed after reduction of the chloride concentration by means of a sulfate-loaded ion exchanger.

This Application Bulletin describes the voltammetric determination of the elements iron, copper and vanadium. Fe as well as Cu and V can be determined as catechol complex at the HMDE by adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV). Fe(II) and Fe(III) are determined as Fe(total) with the same sensitivity for both species in either phosphate buffer or PIPES electrolyte. Cu and V can be determined in PIPES buffer.The methods are primarily suitable for the investigation of ground, drinking and surface waters, in which the concentration of these metals is important. But the methods can naturally also be used for trace analysis in other matrices.The limit of detection for all three elements in PIPES buffer is 0.5 ... 1 µg/L, for iron in phosphate buffer it is approx. 5 µg/L.

This Application Bulletin describes the determination of Sn(II) in presence of Sn(IV) by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). Using an electrolyte containing fluoride, Sn(IV) gives no signal, so that a speciation is possible. The limit of detection is 2.5 µg/L.

Lead is known to be highly toxic and lead salts are easily absorbed by creatures. By interfering with enzyme reactions,lead can affect all parts of the human body. It can cause severe damage to brain and kidneys and can cross the bloodbrain barrier. Cases of chronic lead poisoning caused by lead metal used in the water piping system are well known. Therefore, the control of drinking water for lead content is of utmost importance. In many countries (e.g., EU, USA), the limit for lead in drinking water is between 10 and 15 μg/L. These concentrations can reliably be determined with the method described in this Application Bulletin. The determination is carried out by anodic stripping voltammetry at a silver film applied to the scTRACE Gold electrode.

Lithium-ion batteries must be completely free of water (concentration of H2O < 20 mg/kg), because water reacts with the conducting salt, e.g., LiPF6, to form hydrofluoric acid.The water content of several materials used in lithium ion batteries can be determined reliably and precisely by coulometric Karl-Fischer titration. In this Application Bulletin the determination for the following materials is described:raw materials for the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries (e.g., solvents for electrolytes, carbon black/graphite); electrode coating preparations (slurry) for anode and cathode coating; the coated anode and cathode foils as well as in separator foil and in the combined material; electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries;

Eco Titrators provide the capability to send PC/LIMS reports directly to a PC. This feature is mainly used to transfer data to an external LIMS system or to simply store the data in a digitally on the PC. Additionally, it is possible to control the Eco Titrator by RS232 commands if the connection is set up according to the procedure described below.The data transfer from the Eco Titrator to a PC can be done by a software- or a hardware-based option. Additional accessories are needed for the hardware-based option whereas for the software-based option two additional softwares must be installed. Both solutions are described in this document.

The TitrIC flex I system is used for the fully automatic analysis of water samples using direct measurement, titration, and ion chromatography. The following parameters are determined within a very short time: temperature, conductivity, pH, alkalinity, water hardness, and in parallel, the concentrations of individual anions. Further Metrohm instruments can be incorporated in the existing system at any time and used to measure additional parameters. This Application Bulletin describes in detail the installation instructions for the TitrIC flex I system.

The TitrIC flex II system is used for the fully automatic analysis of water samples using direct measurement, titration, and ion chromatography. The following parameters are determined within a very short time: temperature, conductivity, pH, acid capacity, and in parallel, the concentrations of individual anions and cations with the resulting water hardness and ion balance. Further Metrohm instruments can be incorporated in the existing system at any time and used to measure additional parameters. This Application Bulletin describes in detail the installation instructions for the TitrIC flex II system.

Heavy metals, particularly cadmium and lead, are known to be highly toxic to humans. Therefore, controlling the cadmium and lead content in drinking water is of utmost importance. In many countries, the limit in drinking water for cadmium is between 3–5 µg/L, and for lead it is between 5–15 µg/L. These trace concentrations can reliably be determined with the method described in this Application Bulletin. The determination is carried out by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) using the non-toxic Bi drop electrode in a slightly acidic electrolyte.

Iron is an essential element in the human diet and is found in many natural and treated waters. Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) does not issue a health-based guideline value for iron. Higher concentrations of iron in surface waters can indicate the presence of industrial effluents or outflow from other operations and sources of pollution. Because of this, precise, rapid, and accurate iron determination at low concentrations in environmental and industrial samples is of great importance. This can be achieved with the method described in this Application Bulletin.

Cobalt is an essential element for humans because it is a component of vitamin B12. While small overdoses of cobalt compounds are only slightly toxic to humans, larger doses from 25–30 mg per day may lead to skin, lung, and stomach diseases, as well as liver, heart, and kidney damage, and even cancerous growths. The same is valid for nickel, which can lead to inflammation at higher concentrations. Drinking a large amount of water containing nickel can cause discomfort and nausea. In the EU the legislation specifies 0.02 mg/L as the limit value for the nickel concentration in drinking water. This concentration can be reliably determined with the method described in this Application Bulletin.

Pyrithione complexes, such as zinc pyrithione (ZnPT), copper pyrithione (CuPT), and sodium pyrithione (NaPT), are used as fungicides and bactericides. ZnPT is used in the treatment of skin conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis or dandruff. Furthermore, ZnPT is sometimes used as an antibacterial agent in paints to prevent algae and mildew growth. CuPT is primarily in use as a biocide to prevent biofouling of surfaces submerged in water. Meanwhile, NaPT is used as antifungal agent for treatment of mycosis, such as athlete’s foot. The different pyrithione complexes are determined by iodometric titration using a maintenance-free Pt Titrode for the indication.

Before starting a sample analysis, it is essential to know if the electrode is in a good state or not. A properly working electrode guarantees high quality measurements and ensures accurate and precise results. Furthermore, tedious error tracking can be omitted, and no sample is wasted due to a defect or an old electrode. Several procedures exist to check the health of an electrode. This Application Bulletin outlines the most convenient process by measuring the potential at different wavelengths in degassed deionized water.

This method is applicable to all samples containing glycerin in the absence of other triols or other compounds that react with periodate to produce acidic products. Glycerin may be determined in the presence of glycols. A periodate solution reacts slowly with diols and triols in acidic aqueous media at room temperature. A quantitative amount of formic acid is generated from the reaction with glycerin (a triol). The reaction with diols produces neutral aldehydes. The amount of formic acid generated by this reaction is determined by titration against sodium hydroxide.

This Application Bulletin contains installation instructions for the MVA-24 CVS setup used to measure suppressors, brighteners, and levelers in plating solutions.

This Application Bulletin contains installation instructions for the MVA-25 (with automatic sample preparation) used to measure antioxidants in lubricants.

Automatic sample handling and analysis is very convenient for routine measurements on large number of samples. Metrohm offers a wide range of high performance liquid handling devices that can be combined with the Autolab product range and can be directly controlled by the NOVA software.

The Metrohm 800 Dosino is the workhorse of any automated liquid handling setup. This instrument can be conveniently used in combination with the NOVA software and integrated conveniently with electrochemical measurements performed with the Autolab systems.

The Metrohm 858 Professional Sample Processor is a robotic liquid handling system capable of handling large series of samples automatically. This instrument provides a platform that can be directly controlled by the NOVA software and combined with the Autolab potentiostat/galvanostat for automated high-throughput electrochemical measurements.

A nickel metal hydride battery, abbreviated NiMH, is a type of rechargeable battery similar to a nickel-cadmium (NiCd) battery but, for the anode, instead of cadmium, it has a hydrogen absorbing alloy. Like in NiCd batteries, nickel is the cathode. The voltage output of such packs is directly proportional to the number of single cells in the pack. In some cases, the total voltage can exceed the maximum of 10 V that is measurable by the Autolab potentiostat/galvanostat. To apply and measure voltages greater than 10 V, we have developed a voltage multiplier that increases the voltage range of the Autolab.

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are one of the most important energy storage devices in the market. A typical Li-ion battery is usually composed of one or more cells. Characterization of Li-ion cells and batteries usually involves the galvanostatic charge and discharge during various cycles.

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.

During charge and discharge of a Li-ion battery, lithium ions are transported from one electrode through the electrolyte to the other electrode. Knowing the chemical diffusion coefficient of electrode materials is crucial. The potentiostatic intermittent titration technique (PITT) is one of the most used techniques to retrieve insights on the diffusion coefficient of the electrode active materials.

The main components of a battery are the positive and negative electrodes, together with the electrolyte, which provides only the ionic conductivity. The most common electrolytes are in the liquid state. Therefore, a separator is needed to provide a physical separation between the electrodes. The separator is soaked with electrolyte. The MacMullin number is a parameter used to determine the quality of a separator, in terms of ionic conductivity, when soaked with an electrolyte. The MacMullin number can be calculated, using the results of data fitting of two EIS experiments and the geometric factors of the measurement cells. In this application note, a commercial electrolyte is employed, together with a porous filter, used as a separator.

The TSC SW closed and TSC battery cells are compact systems designed for measurement of air or moisture sensitive materials, such as those materials used in rechargeable batteries. These cells offer well-controlled environment for the in-temperature measurement of solid and gel like materials in contact with metal electrodes in planar geometry. For example, battery active materials, ionically conductive solid-state electrolytes and battery separators can be tested using these cells. In this experiment, standard resistors of 100 Ω are used in both cells to understand the cell effects, if any, on the measurements.

The DuoCoin Cell Holder is introduced. EIS measurements on a commercial coin cell battery are performed. Differences in impedance between the four-terminal configuration and two-terminal configuration is highlighted, putting in evidence the importance of having a direct four-terminal configuration, when low-impedance DUTs are investigated.

In this application note, we demonstrate how to determine the binary diffusion coefficient of a commercial liquid binary lithium ion battery electrolyte based on a galvanostatic pulse polarization method.

This application note presents the experimental details and an overview of the most important findings from the EIS and CV experiment to study the structure of a model solid electrolyte interface forming on a planar glassy carbon electrode in contact with a typical organic battery electrolyte.

In this application note, we demonstrate how to determine the through-plane tortuosity τ of a commercial lithium ion battery cathode material with known porosity and coating thickness, based on the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) method.

In this application note, we demonstrate how to determine the lithium ion transference number of a commercial liquid binary lithium ion battery electrolyte, based on the very-low-frequency electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (VLF-EIS) method.

In battery research, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is a necessary tool to investigate the processes occurring at the electrodes. With a common three-electrode battery, EIS can be performed sequentially first at one electrode and then at the other electrode.