Engineer Live News Desk
Moisture in granules or grain - with a moisture analyser, the moisture content can be precisely determined
Moisture measurement has a great influence on the quality, storability and usability of raw materials and other materials. The moisture content must also be taken into account when determining the price of food products. The PCE-MA 110TS moisture analyser from PCE Instruments offers quick and precise determination of the moisture content in many different fields.
Moisture balances are used to determine moisture in materials or for quality assurance in the industrial sector. Electronic moisture analysers have the advantage that they can be used to measure quickly and precisely on site. This moisture balance consists of a heating chamber with halogen lights and a balance. These two components make the test instrument a combination of a drying chamber and a precision balance. The heating chamber can be heated up to 199°C. The moisture balance is specially designed for small sample quantities. This has the advantage that the drying time is shortened and the moisture content can be determined faster than in a classic kiln. The sample is continuously weighed during the drying process and then the moisture content is determined from the difference in weight between the initial value and the final value. Before drying, it is important to adjust the temperature to the material. The moisture content can be expressed relatively in per cent or absolutely in grammes.
The temperature setting for drying depends on the moisture content of the respective sample. If the moisture content is high, the heating chamber must be heated up faster than for samples with a low moisture content. With these materials, if the heating chamber is heated too quickly, the sample may carbonise. If the heating chamber is heated up too slowly, the drying process may be terminated even though there is still residual moisture in the sample.
The measurement is stopped when the weight does not change after a certain time.
A great advantage of the moisture analyser is that this test equipment can measure any material without having to determine characteristic curves beforehand. This means that it is not necessary to determine presettings for the moisture content of the different materials.
The moisture content can be calculated by different formulas:
1. Moisture content in relation to initial mass: f [%] = m0-m/m0*100%
2. Moisture content in relation to the current mass: f [%] = m0-m/m*100%
3. Content of the current mass in the sample in per cent (dry mass): f [%] = m
Another advantage is the PC connection of the moisture balance. Via the RS-232 interface, the measurement can be transferred to a PC and evaluated with the analysis software.
More information about moisture analysers can be found here