High-Precision Moisture Meter 7193

The TrueDry CV-9 high-precision moisture meter accurately measures the moisture content of nine samples with just four minutes of hands-on time, saving scientists, chemists, quality control, and R&D professionals approximately 2500 workflow interruptions and 150 hours per year over other loss-on drying methods such as drying ovens. The new technology dries each sample to a previously impossible-to-attain standard by passing heated, desiccated air over them until achieving a uniform value of 1% relative humidity. The TrueDry monitors weight automatically and dries at lower temperatures, preventing the loss of materials other than water.  

“It’s like turning on a light in the process of moisture content analysis,” said Dr. Colin Campbell, Decagon Devices vice president of research and development. “It used to be that we had no idea if, in the process of weighing samples, putting them in the oven, and weighing them again, they lost other volatile compounds, dried at the right temperature, or we’d kept them in the oven long enough. Now, with this new technology, we don’t have to worry about those issues because it’s all done automatically, and we can absolutely count on the consistency of the results.”

How does this new technology work? As each sample dries, TrueDry monitors the weight by cycling each sample onto a high-precision electromagnetic balance for repeated weight measurements. The TrueDry also eliminates error due to ambient conditions where differences in the humidity of your lab can cause significant variation in oven dry values. It does this by maintaining constant vapor pressure in its chamber regardless of ambient conditions, resulting in more consistent results over drying oven technology. In addition, the TrueDry dries samples instead of burning them. Burning samples at high temperatures expels mass from the sample in addition to water (i.e. alcohols, etc.). The controlled contact drying technology in TrueDry makes it possible to analyze samples at lower temperatures, eliminating the loss of materials other than water, and providing confidence in the accuracy of moisture content measurements.

Industries that rely on this measurement and will benefit from this new TrueDry technology include foods, pet foods, pharmaceuticals, tobacco, petroleum, lubricants, and plastics.

“Once you’re able to control sample headspace humidity, watch drying, and control temperature, the next step is the behavior of the sample over time,” said Campbell. “As we go forward with this instrument, I’d love to do more work with the behavior of the sample during the drying process.”  

Learn more about the use of TrueDry technology in water content measurement by watching a video.

Decagon Devices Inc., Pullman, WA 509-332-5582 www.decagon.com

For related articles, news, and equipment reviews, visit our Instrumentation & Control Equipment Zone