Process analyzers measure the concentration of specific substances for the purpose of measuring and/or controlling those concentrations in a process stream. Safety analyzers detect the presence of dangerous concentrations of specific substances to warn personnel of threats to life or…

Some analyzers measure the composition of a process stream by directly immersing the sensing element in that stream. This is called in situ measurement, which is a Latin phrase meaning “in the place.” A pH probe inserted into a process pipe, an…

Recall that an exothermic chemical reaction is one that releases a net sum of energy, as opposed to an endothermic reaction which requires a greater input of energy than it releases. Combustion is a common class of exothermic reactions, with the released energy being…

When a high-energy photon strikes an atom, it may eject one of the lower-level electrons from its shell, leaving a vacancy to be filled by one of the electrons already residing in a shell higher than the vacancy but lower…

Using filter cells to eliminate wavelengths associated with interfering gases is called positive filtering in the field of spectroscopy. You may think of this as filtering out all the wavelengths the instrument should not “care about.” In order for positive filtering to be completely…

Non-dispersive analysis, while newer in discovery than dispersive analysis (Isaac Newton’s 17th-century prism), has actually seen far earlier application as continuous process analyzers. The basic design was developed during the years 1937-1938 by Dr. Luft and Dr. Lehrer in the…

The dispersion of visible light into its constituent colors goes all the way back to the 17th century with Isaac Newton’s experiments, taking a glass prism and generating the characteristic “rainbow” of colors: A modern variation on the theme of a solid…

Light is known to interact with matter in very specific ways, which may be exploited as a means of measuring chemical composition. Either a sample of substance to be analyzed is stimulated into emitting light (optical emission), or made to absorb light…

Imagine a major marathon race, where hundreds of runners gather in one place to compete. When the starting gun is fired, all the runners begin running the race, starting from the same location (the starting line) at the same time.…

pH is the measurement of the hydrogen ion activity in a liquid solution. It is one of the most common forms of analytical measurement in industry, because pH has a great effect on the outcome of many chemical processes. Food…

The electrical conductivity of liquids is an important analytical measurement in many industrial processes. This measurement is one of the more non-specific types of analytical technologies, because it does not discriminate between different conductive substances dissolved in the solution. For…

In the field of industrial instrumentation and process control, the word analyzer generally refers to an instrument tasked with measuring the concentration of some substance, usually mixed with other substances. Unlike the other “bulk” measurement devices for sensing such general variables as…