Some Advantages of automation:
Some applications:
- quality control
- process control
- environmental monitoring
Autotitrator
Titrations were of the
first automated
analytical techniques
Schematic representation of an automated colorimetric
analysis
Samplers:
Autosamplers
Pumps:
Peristaltic pumps
Operates by means of rotating bars
attached to a chain drive which compresses
the plastic tubes to drive the liquid forward.
Syringe pump
Automated determination of magnesium in urine using
DAB (o,o’-dihydroxyazobenzene)
FLOW INJECTION ANALYSIS (FIA)
Involves injecting a liquid sample into a carrier stream
which contains all chemicals necessary of the analysis.
The stream then flows through the detector.
The stream is unsegmented by air bubbles, thus
dispersion of the sample occurs by both:
CONVECTIVE TRANSPORT DIFFUSIONAL TRANSPORT
Due to solution flow
Parabolic velocity profile
in direction of flow
Due to concentration
gradient
Radial diffusion
Block diagram of a flow injection spectrophotometric
monitor for the determination of nitrate in river water
Valves:
Load sample loop:
Injection valves
Flow through:
Selection
valve
Results for continuous flow analysis of ethanol in
beverages
CONSTANT MONITORING
Generally difficult to analyse within a process stream.
Often divert some of the steam and introduce a
sampling loop.
The analysis could act as a feedback for optimising
control of the process.
Submersible UV-Vis
spectrometer
Schematic diagram of an analyser/controller for an
acid catalysed reaction
ROBOTICS
Used when large numbers of samples have to be
routinely processed before measurement.
In this country robotics
is currently mainly
used in the fire assay
for gold and PGM’s
The pouring process:
Manual
Robotic
Robotic lab