Replace Your Titrators with a Refractometer

Determining Chemical Concentration (Binary Solutions) with Anton Paar Refractometers

  Abbemat refractometers can be used for fast and highly accurate concentration measurement of binary chemical solutions. Compared to titration, the Abbemat refractometer requires less sample volume, is more robust, and requires no maintenance, inspection effort, consumables, or sample preparation. Approximately 20% of our refractometer sales are made to chemical manufacturers. However, it is not only companies in the chemical industry that want to control their products. In almost every industrial sector, the quality and concentration of incoming products must be checked before further processing. When concentration measurement is required, many processes define titration as the preferred method. However, compared to refractometry, this is a time-consuming and labour-intensive process. Abbemat refractometers can measure the concentration of binary solutions using smaller sample volumes. This is also more environmentally friendly and less hazardous for the operator and surroundings. Abbemat vs. Titration Every chemical has a refractive index that can be measured with an Abbemat refractometer. The most important reasons for preferring Abbemat over titration are: • No titration calculation required • Ready to use immediately after water control • No sample preparation • Very small sample volume • Accurate results in seconds • Very robust • Almost no additional operating costs • No expensive waste management • No consumables The Abbemat refractometer is a very fast and easy device for determining the concentration of a binary solution and displays the result immediately in the desired unit: • g/100 g • %vol • %mass • ml/100 mL • mol/L

Applications

There are a wide variety of basic chemicals required in almost every industrial sector and many production processes. The following examples show where Abbemat refractometers can be used.

Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)

Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is highly corrosive and toxic at high concentrations. In the United States, concentrations between 20% and 32% are sold as muriatic acid. Hydrochloric acid is one of the basic industrial raw materials with multiple uses:

Chemical Industry

• In the production process of poly(chloroethene), also known as PVC, • During transesterification of edible or non-edible oils, • In the preparation of dichloropropanol (DCP) required for paints, varnishes, photographic materials, In the production of p-phenylenediamine required for nanoparticles, liquid crystal displays, inks, rubber, hair dyes, • In the production of bisphenol A, • The production of ethanol from lignocellulose requires concentrated HCl.

Metal Industry

Hydrochloric acid is primarily used for acid pickling, especially of: • Carbon steel (10% to 20% HCl) • Copper and copper alloys (5% to 20% HCl) • Stainless steels (5% to 15% HCl) HCl is also used during steel deoxidation (1% to 5% HCl) and to neutralize alkaline residues (3% to 8% HCl).

Food Industry:

A major use of hydrochloric acid is in the beverage industry. It is used in the production process of corn syrups such as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS): • To remove impurities in ion exchange resins (3 M HCl) • To acid-convert corn starch (between 0.0 M and 2.5 M HCl) • pH adjustment of intermediates, final products, and wastewater

Pharmaceutical Industry

Two important applications in the pharmaceutical industry:

• Use of hydrochloric acid to demineralize water in the pharmaceutical industry
• More than 50% of pharmaceuticals are salts, most frequently (15.5%) hydrochlorides. In pharmaceutical hydrochloride production, HCl concentrations range from 5% to 38%.

Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)

Caustic soda is a strong alkali (base). It is used as flakes, granules, or as an aqueous solution. NaOH is used in many industries: Pulp and paper: For bleaching operations and separating lignin from cellulose fibres • Chemical processing: For subsequent products such as solvents, plastics, textiles, adhesives, herbicides, paints, inks, pharmaceuticals • Textiles: In the production of poly-viscose fibres, cotton and dye processing, synthetic fibres • Soaps and detergents: In saponification (converting oils, tallow, and vegetable oils to soap) and in the production of anionic surfactants • Oil exploration and processing: As an additive for drilling mud, to increase alkalinity in bentonite mud systems, to neutralize acid gas • Food and beverage: Water treatment, food processing, cleaners for beverage bottles

Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4)

Sulfuric acid (according to IUPAC: Dihydrogen sulfate) is a strong mineral acid that is highly soluble in water. It is an important chemical used in the production process of hundreds of compounds. Sulfuric acid is required for the following productions, with phosphate as a raw material: • Fertilizers • Detergents • Polishes • Water softening products • Food supplements • Emulsifiers for animal feed and foods • Cheese, milk powder, meat, and starch • Corrosion inhibitors Other Special Applications • Acetic Acid • Isopropyl Alcohol • Formic Acid • • Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4) Sulfuric acid (according to IUPAC: Dihydrogen sulfate) is a strong mineral acid that is highly soluble in water. It is an important chemical used in the production process of hundreds of compounds. Sulfuric acid is required for the following productions, with phosphate as a raw material: • Fertilizers • Detergents • Polishes • Citric Acid • Nitric Acid • Urine • Ammonium Nitrate • AdBlue DEF Measure the concentration of your binary solutions safely, effortlessly, with no additional costs, without spending time on maintenance and calibration in seconds with the Abbemat Refractometer, and continue your quality control applications by also checking the refractive index values of all your other chemicals in raw material control.   Utku Çiftçi Regional Sales Manager Anton Paar Türkiye