Millipore | Contamination Analysis and Testing
Contamination Issues with Industrial Systems
Fluid and fuel contamination in industrial systems can increase equipment wear and damage without needing to, resulting in system downtime and expensive repairs. While there are numerous methods for analysing contamination, many of them need laboratory tools to process. The Millipore Patch Test Kit enables on-site sample analysis quickly, giving you a clear picture of how your system is doing.
Analysis of Millipore Testing by Gravimetry
The main goal of Millipore testing is to assess cleanliness by looking for particles or other solid, non-soluble pollutants. The presence of hydrocarbons or other pollutants that will become soluble during the extraction process cannot typically be detected using this method.
The size and number of
particles obtained by extraction and measured and counted manually or
automatically are two common ways that the results of Millipore testing are
expressed. Simply weighing the quantity of contamination gathered throughout
the extraction procedure constitutes a gravimetric analysis. Even though I'm
not sure, I think gravimetric analysis came before particle evaluation techniques
and, although being less popular now than particle analysis, would seem to be
the more accurate and reproducible of the two. Although they are occasionally
combined, one discipline or the other is employed in most analyses. The only
exception is when both the overall weight and the largest particle must not be
greater than a specific value.
When done correctly,
gravimetric analysis of Millipore testing findings typically yields a number
that is far more consistent and dependable than analysis using automated or
manual particle counting. When particle size is reasonably constant and
particle size and distribution are unimportant, it should be employed.
Gravimetric analysis has the advantage of being less expensive to undertake
because it requires less specialised equipment. Additionally, it is more
"forgiving" than particle analysis because it is unaffected by the
level of contamination, whereas automated particle counting methods can lead to
inaccurate results. To its detriment, gravimetric analysis does not
provide a particle size distribution unless filtration is carried out in stages
employing filters with varied retentions, nor does it easily identify different
kinds of pollutants, such as metallic, non-metallic, transparent, opaque, or
fibres.
Although more complex analysis methods have replaced Millipore testing utilising gravimetric analysis, it is still suitable for many applications.
Gravimetric Evaluation
The extraction of the particles to be weighed is the first stage in the gravimetric analysis process. One of the many methods described in various specifications is used for this. As a result of the extraction, the collected particles are suspended in the liquid that was used to carry out the extraction. The particles are then separated from the extraction liquid and weighed. The filter mesh is selected to retain (as much as feasible) only the particles that are significant. If only particles 50 microns in size or larger are a concern, a filter retention of 2 microns, for instance, would not be necessary. The filter is preconditioned before to completing the filtration in order to ensure that its weight will remain constant throughout and after the filtration procedure. To achieve a fixed degree of water absorption in the filter material, pre-conditioning typically entails a prewash using uncontaminated extraction liquid, heated drying, and exposure in a dessicator. By simply deducting the beginning weight from the weight observed after the collected particles are gathered on the filter, it is possible to calculate the weight of the collected particles when using a filter whose weight is known. The filter should be dried using the same technique as for preconditioning after the filtration process to remove any leftover extraction liquid, and it should then be held in a dessicator to restore the initial level of water absorption.
Field Testing with the Millipore Patch Test Kit
For the field-based
collection and analysis of hydraulic fluids, hydraulic oils, bulk chemicals,
boiler water, and lubricating oils that contain hydrocarbons, there is the
Millipore Patch Test Kit. This portable technology enables sensitive,
colorimetric analysis for the reliable detection of contamination.
Millipore Patch Test Kit Components
The package comes with
generic operating instructions. For detailed information about your regulatory
procedure, we advise you to consult it. This kit also comes with 5.0 m mixed
cellulose ester (MCE) membranes. Please confirm that your method, samples, and
solvent are compatible with these filters. Our catalogue offers a variety of
membranes for purchase.
How To Use the Millipore Patch Test Kit?
Prepare the rinse solvent and wash bottle
The stainless steel
backpressure screen should remain on the upper filter holder portion after
unscrewing the two sections of the 25 mL Swinnex filter holder. Place a 25 mm
white filter disc in the centre of the perforated plastic support in the lower
filter holder part using the forceps. Put the stainless steel screen on top of
the filter and reassemble the filter holder. Remove the 25 mL Swinnex filter
holder and the plastic lid from the wash bottle's spout. Replace the wash
bottle cap after adding the solvent suggested by your procedure to the wash
bottle. To avoid spills when storing the wash bottle, insert the spout cap.
Assemble the test filtration apparatus
To remove the filter
holder assembly from the vacuum filtration flask, insert the blunt end of the
forceps into the cutout slot and pry against the flask rim. Install the holder
assembly on the flask after removing and inverting it, making sure it is flush
with the rim. The wash bottle's red cap needs to be removed. Squeeze the bottle
to clean the interior surfaces of the funnel while covering the vent hole in
the solvent dispenser cap. Use enough solvent to completely wash all pollutants
into the flask.
Place the test filter in place, then attach the syringe vacuum pump.
Turn the blue ring to the
left until it is released, then remove the funnel out of the test filter
holder. Place a 47 mm white test filter disc in the centre of the wire mesh
support screen using forceps. To secure the filter in place, replace the funnel
and tighten the blue ring once more. The syringe vacuum pump's red safety cap
should be removed. Put a firm fit in the little hole on the side of the filter
holder base with the nylon adapter on the black tube.
Collect test sample
Rinse a sample collection
bottle's interior with filtered solvent from the wash bottle, then throw away
the used solvent. The test fluid should be poured into the sample collection
bottle up to the shoulder point. Cap tightly.
Filter test sample
Shake the sample bottle,
then pour the liquid into the funnel against the funnel walls to evenly
distribute it across the filter surface. Use the syringe plunger to create a
vacuum within the flask until the level of the fluid in the funnel starts to
fall. Filtered solvent should be added to the sample bottle until it is
one-third full, shaken well, and then poured into the funnel. If required, you
can use the syringe once more, but don't skip the last rinse step before the
fluid level reaches the filter surface.
Rinse and remove filter
Rinse the inner surface
of the funnel with the wash bottle once the sample level reaches the funnel's
narrow throat. Avoid allowing the solvent stream to contact the test filter
directly. Remove the funnel once the filter has processed all the liquid to
look at the filter's surface. Replace the funnel and rinse the inner surface
until the liquid reaches the top of the funnel's neck if the centre of the
filter is pink. To force all the fluid through the filter, pump the syringe
once more. With forceps, remove the test filter, then put it face-up in a
PetriSlide. Before reinstalling the PetriSlide cover, let the filter dry
completely in calm air.
Analyze samples
The fluid colour guide
can be used to calculate the level of contamination if your method calls for
colorimetric analysis. Label the PetriSlides and submit them to your lab if
your procedure calls for gravimetric or microscopic analysis.
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