Vaisala K Patents Refractometers - Refractive Index Measurement

Vaisala K-PATENTS Process Refractometers provide in-line solids and density measurement  for liquids for process control and industrial automation. 

Vaisala K-PATENTS Process Refractometers are commonly used to determine the liquid concentration or density. This measurement has been an essential element in the processing industries for over a century in all sectors, including refining, paper production, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and chemical manufacturing. , 

The measurement principle is critical angle measurement. The refractometer has three main components: a light source, a prism, and an image detector.  

The light source sends light rays to the prism and process interface at different angles. Rays with a steep angle are partly reflected in the image detector and partially refracted to the process. The angle from which the total reflection starts is called the critical angle. A CCD camera detects a bright field and a dark field corresponding to partly reflected light and totally reflected light. The borderline position between the bright and the dark area correlates with the critical angle which is a function of the refractive index and therefore correlates with the concentration of the solution.

For more information in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Ohio, West Virginia and Western Maryland contact Miller Energy. Call 800-631-5454 or visit https://millerenergy.com.

The Vaisala K-PATENTS PR-43A Sanitary Process Refractometers for Food, Beverage & Dairy Industries

Vaisala K-PATENTS® Sanitary Process Refractometers PR-43-AC for hygienic installations in small pipe line sizes of 2.5 inch and smaller; PR-43-AP for hygienic installations in large pipes, tanks, cookers, crystallizers and kettles and for higher temperatures up to 150°C (300 °F); and the PR-43-APT for flush mounting installations in cookers, cooling crystallizers and other vessels that have scrapers or mixers.

Sanitary Refractometer Applications:

Extraction, evaporation, brewing, distilling, sugar dissolving, blending, filling. Alcohol, rum, whiskey, brandy, vodka, molasses, liquors, cider, alcoholic beverages, pre-mixed liquors. Beer and malt beverages, wort, cut beer, root beer. Juices, blended vegetable and fruit juices and nectars, still drinks, vegetable and juice concentrates, iced tea and coffee, instant coffee and tea. Soft drinks, energy and sport drinks, beverage base. Wines, grape must.

Sanitary Refractometer 3A Approval:

The Sanitary refractometer PR-43-A is Sanitary 3-A approved to meet the highest hygiene requirements of food production. The 3-A Symbol assures that the Sanitary Refractometer

PR-43-A conforms to 3-A Sanitary Standard Number 46-04 for Refractometers and Energy-Absorbing Optical Sensors for Milk and Milk Products and it has passed the independent Third Party Verification inspection for 3-A Symbol authorization.

For more information about Vaisala K-PATENTS products in Metro New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Northern Ohio contact Miller Energy, Inc. Call them at 800-631-5454 or visit their web site at https://millerenergy.com.

Industrial Refractometers Used in Process Control

Refractometer for pharmaceutical use (K-Patents).

Part physics, part material science and part chemistry, refractometry is the process which measures the composition of known substances by means of calculating their respective refractive indexes (RI). RIs are evaluated via a refractometer, a device which measures the curve, or refraction, resulting when the wavelength of light moves from the air into and through a tested substance. The unitless number given by the refractometer, usually between 1.3000 and 1.7000, is the RI. The composition of substances is then determined when the RI is compared to a standard curve specific to the material of the substance.

Process refractometers provide the analysis to quickly, reliably, and very accurately identify a sample and determine it's concentration and purity levels. They measure the refractive index and temperature of flowing liquids, and apply mathematical functions to determine the concentration of dissolved solids.

Common industrial refractometer applications are:

• Calculating beverages’ amount of sugar dissolved is water.
• In commercial food applications such as juice production or tomato processing, refractometers are used to measure degrees Brix (Tthe Brix scale relates refractive index to sugar concentration, and is a key way to maintain consistency).
• In the pharmaceutical industry, process refractometers are used to monitor and control concentration levels during supersaturation, a critical process in crystallization.
• In pulp and paper production, process refractometers for measuring dissolved solids in black and green liquor during the chemical recovery process.

Equipment manufacturers have developed numerous refractometer configurations tailored to specific each use and application. Each has a set of features making it the advantageous choice for its intended application. Product specialists can be invaluable sources of information and assistance to potential refractometer users seeking to match the best equipment to their application or process.

For more information on industrial refractometers, contact Miller Energy by visiting https://millerenergy.com or by calling 908-755-6700 in New Jersey or 610-363-6200 in Pennsylvania.