Announcing ....
a little (r)evolution in bio-chem lab equipment, from introductory Chem Lab courses to higher levels of analytical research, by introducing a versatile materials testing station, with the main goal to provide various hardware, which allows for implementation of many analytical techniques with simplicity, flexibility, and minimal cost.
The user can form any "Exotica Station" out of the provided hardware and create own components to best address the instrumentation needs for the research ideas.
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The Knudsen burners, glass test tubes, stoppers, test tube stands, need no introduction. The Knudsen burner was substituted by the Test Tube Heater and is described elsewhere on our websites. For replacement of the test tube stopper we offer a special design of test tube(s) housing or test tube(s) holder, with multiple ports, pressure range from
vacuum to at least 340 kPa (50 psia), flow-through capabilities, and variety of constructions to address many of applications. One of the ports is fitted with adjustable pressure check valve (3-50 psi) to release gas in case of unexpected overpressure conditions. In addition to borosilicate glass or quartz, other materials like ceramic or metal can be used. To facilitate practical usage, a simple stand is offered for easy lowering of the test tube into a test tube heater or cryogenic vessel. Of course, while working with glassware, the safety is of paramount importance. So transparent shields of various constructions can be added to the structure. You are still obligated to wear suitable eye and face protection at all time in the lab. The basic test tube stand is presented on the photo below with 16 mm OD, 150 mm long test tube installed. |
Test Tube Stand
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Surface Area (BET) Degasser
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The upper shelf of the stand can have different hardware added for particular experiments. In this photo the upper port is fitted with long rod to reduce dead volume of the test tube. Solid or hollow reducers can be utilized. Some other possibilities, like flow-through attachment, temperature sensor (thermocouple), mixer, ridged borescope, or light sources can be used. Visual observation or taking images of objects under vacuum or pressure can be done. Although the stand can be used in its basic configuration, combining it with the Test Tube Heater adds the ability to change temperature from ambient to 300 C in a controlled manner. The next photos present such station, which gains addition capabilities when interfaced with the IQIPyc gas (helium) pycnometer. With the thermocouple and extra valve, several analytical techniques can be materialized and some of them are mentioned below: |
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1. Sample Stability Tester - Evolved Gas Meter. While carrying out programmable temperature profiles, it monitors gas pressure (starting from vacuum, atmospheric, or any reasonable pressure within it range), it can remove excess of evolved gas above prescribed limit and record the amount. Since volumes of every part of the system can be known, complete volume of gas evolved can be obtained. The true volume (density) of the sample used, before the process and after, can be easily obtained. 2. Thermal Analysis Apparatus. When the external thermocouple is used, its temperature values can be recorded along the temperature of the Test Tube Heater. By applying temperature profiles, with controlled level of pressure, thermal behavior of the sample can be studied. The 24-bit resolution used allows for monitoring small changes in temperatures for the long term biochemical reactions taking place in the test tube. 3. Surface Area (BET) Degasser. It can be called a smart degasser as all the information about the pressure, temperature, and amount of gas released is recorded. Degassing procedure can be optimized for the temperature and time used, and use of vacuum or flow-through. Having the sample degassed, and knowing its true density (before and after degassing if you wish), you may wonder as to what the next step could be. Getting the right cryostat, substituting it for the Test Tube Heater, opens the possibility of carrying out surface area measurements, especially above atmospheric pressure where many Surface Area analyzers will not work. The separation of the sample chamber (test tube) from the controlling unit (IQIPyc) offers another distinctive advantage, as the experimentation involving some chemicals, like dry ice with acetone, can be placed inside a hood or other containment region of the lab. The list of applications can go on. The next photo presents some hardware for flow-through option instead of closed system. The extended version of IQIPyc gas pycnometer is presented with auxiliary hardware for implementation of the "Pycnometer to the sample" idea that was presented previously. This IQIPyc and the Test Tube Stand, in one form or another, can be called the Bio-Chem Eureka! Station. |
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The output of the test tube can be redirected to specific sensors, like RH or CO2 probes, to pre-concentrators, or to other analytical instruments. Since the glass test tubes are inexpensive, and every part of the stand is available for easy disassembly, modification, or replacement, there is much less concern of contamination as it is for other instruments where often manufacturer specific and expensive glassware is used. There is also one very important educational aspect in this design. The common trend in instrumentation design offers mostly only access to sample chambers and a set of instructions of what to press to get the experiment going. In our approach, the user is encouraged to learn functionality of each module, construct the most suitable setup by either using the provided or develop own hardware. |
Materials Testing Analyzer
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When inquiring about the product at: info@instruquest.com
please provide operational requirements,
as detailed technical information is helpful in providing the best answers.
please provide operational requirements,
as detailed technical information is helpful in providing the best answers.