Rapid and Precise Loss-on-Drying Analysis for Chemical Manufacturers

Introduction

Chemical manufacturing is one of the most diverse markets in the world, with each site custom tailored to the product being manufactured. Despite the wide diversity, one of the most common factors in all processes is the need to control total solids or volatile component levels. For some manufacturing processes, high moisture levels can degrade reactivity or lead to agglomeration. For other processes, such as slurries, total solids must be accurately maintained for best performance and cost. Whether manufacturers are testing for total solids or percent volatiles, loss-on-drying is the only simple and direct method of analysis. Long total solids test times can lead to unnecessary and costly time waiting for batch release or reformulation. Infrared loss-on-drying balances are a relatively rapid approach to measuring total solids, but can take 20 minutes or more to complete. Dedicated optical sensors can be fitted to certain continuous processes, but are expensive, highly specialized, and require regular calibration.

The SMART Q^TM is uniquely designed to rapidly measure loss-ondrying in both manufacturing and in laboratory settings. With a highly accurate 4-place analytical balance, the SMART Q provides reliable, repeatable results in approximately 5 minutes. The SMART Q uses direct sample temperature feedback and active cavity ventilation to dry samples faster than any other infrared moisture analyzer and requires no cavity pre-heat.

This study demonstrates that the SMART Q can rapidly analyze a wide range of manufactured chemicals for loss-on-drying with an average difference of less than 0.04%, compared to air oven reference results.