The DVS Intrinsic - A compact and economical Vapor Sorption System.- rapidly measures uptake and loss of moisture in the sample by flowing a carrier gas at a specified relative humidity (RH) over a sample suspended from the weighing mechanism of our highly sensitive and stable digital microbalance, the SMS UltraBalance, which detects the sorption/desorption of water vapor by the increase/decrease in mass of the material. The instrument is capable of accommodating a sample mass up to 4g and with dimensions as large as 40mm, so many differing sample sizes and geometries can be easily accommodated. Changes in sample mass of 0.1μg and unrivalled long-term stability are hallmarks of the Intrinsic and which are required for the accurate measurement of water sorption phenomena. These measurements may take from a few minutes to a few hours to complete depending upon the sample size and material. Indeed, a major factor in determining the water sorption behavior of materials is the need to establish rapid water sorption equilibrium. Therefore, the DVS Intrinsic also allows sorption behaviour to be accurately determined on very small sample sizes (typically 1-20 mg) thus providing great savings in the time required to reach equilibrium. Larger sample sizes can, however, easily be accommodated but typically require longer equilibration times.
Temperature stability of the measurement system is essential for accurate measurements, and this is achieved using solid state electronic control which avoids the use of noisy and maintenance-intensive external water baths. The Intrinsic has a temperature control to ± 0.1 °C ensuring excellent instrument baseline stability as well as accurate control of the relative humidity generation. Separate temperature-controlled zones for sample and microbalance ensure stable baseline performance, while high-precision mass flow controllers mix dry and water saturated carrier gas flows in the correct proportions to provide precise RH control. Humidity and temperature probes are situated in the sample chamber to give independent verification of system performance. The DVS Intrinsic can perform isoactivity measurements in which materials are kept under constant RH conditions while linearly or stepwise varying the temperature.
The DVS Intrinsic is fully automated, under the control of the DVS-WIN software package supplied with the instrument, providing a flexible and easy to use interface for setting up and running moisture sorption/desorption experiments. All routine set-up and operational functions are supported by software wizards that guide the user step-by-step through each operation. Increased throughput can be easily accommodated via a unique feature of the instrument – DVS-IntrinsiLink – in which up to five Intrinsic systems may be linked to a single PC. In addition, the DVS Data Analysis Suite, which runs from within Microsoft Excel, provides a powerful environment for rapid plotting and quantitative data analysis, all of which can be done remotely via the built-in network connectivity feature of the Intrinsic allowing data sharing and analysis between multiple users.
High quality water isotherms and efficient water activity measurements
Step-by-step software wizards guide users through routine procedures
Smallest, compact design that makes optimal use of limited bench space – only 26cm wide
Advanced electronics and simplified user interface
Accommodates wide variety of sample geometries and up to 4 gram capacity
SMS UltraBalance provides unrivalled sensitivity and baseline stability
Built-in Network Connectivity for easy data sharing and remote analysis
Expandable operation of up to 5 units from 1 PC via DVS-IntrinsiLink
Simple self-install and easy maintenance minimizes total ownership costs
Studying hygroscopicity of powders, fibres and solids
Kinetics of water sorption and desorption
Water induced morphology changes
Food shelf-life prediction studies
Effects of moisture on texture
Pharmaceuticals: powders, tablets, API’s and excipient materials
Food:powders, processed food, biscuits
Natural materials: grains/seed, wood
Building materials: aggregates, cement, ceramics
Personal care products: cosmetics, hair care, contact lenses