InstruQuest Inc. Scientific Instruments R&D |
2004 -2021 Copyright © InstruQuest, Inc. All rights reserved. |
The most versatile, accurate, and cost effective design of a gas (helium) pycnometer and micropycnometer in one instrument for true volume (density) measurements of solid state samples (e.g. fine powders) at ambient temperature conditions. |
The Test Tube Heater is designed for uniform and controlled heating of sample holders up to 300 C (570 F) with temperature resolution of 0.1 C. The heating zone is at least 50 mm in height and common glass or other materials test tubes of 20mm diameters or smaller can be used. A suitable 12V DC power source (the heater uses about 35-40 W of power) is needed to operate this instrument. Easily available regulated tabletop power supplies with 12V DC output (2.5 mm pin, center positive) or utilizing 12V DC output from other instruments, like the extended version of IQIPyc can be used for the test tube heater operation. Software and elaborated hardware control safeguards are implemented to prevent overheating above 300 C. The extra thermocouple circuit is used for temperature monitoring and it provides voltage proportional to the temperature, which is available for recording. External metal protection prevents accidental access to the hot surfaces. All metal construction makes the instrument robust, durable, and safe. The low power voltage makes it suitable for field and lab applications. The Test Tube Heater can be remotely controlled and easily incorporated into a more complex instrumental setup. As we advance the technologies, plurality of analytical capabilities will be presented later by addition of auxiliary hardware built around this module and IQIPyc gas (helium) pycnometer. In the standalone version, its temperature controller can be set manually to the desired temperature and simple temperature profiles can be programmed. This handy tool is intended for R&D researchers for samples studies and for general laboratory work. |