Metrohm has announced that the 841 Titrando determines the water content of pasta using Karl Fischer titration.
Pasta with a low water content of about 10 per cent can be stored for many years.
Pasta containing more than 12 per cent of moisture has a shorter shelf life as it can become musty and mouldy.
Prior to analysis the pasta is ground up as finely as possible in a cooled laboratory mill.
As the sample could heat up during grinding (resulting in water loss), cooling is crucial for obtaining correct results.
Extraction of the water from the powdery sample is accelerated by adding formamide and working at 50C.
This shortens the time required for the Karl Fischer titration.
The 841 Titrando has the sophisticated control algorithm of the Titrando, which has been adapted to the characteristics of the Karl Fischer reaction and guarantees precise results.
The user can choose between a polarised alternating current (Ipol) or a defined voltage (Upol) to be applied to the electrode.
Both working modes yield fast and precise results.
Different reagents require different parameters.
The 841 Titrando lets the user select the appropriate method for each type of reagent.
Combined with the easy and intuitive user guidance, this is the optimal instrument for routine operation: for example, the KF icons show at a glance whether the instrument is still busy conditioning or whether the user can start the water determination.
The electrode test and the newly created parameter safety-stop prevent cell run-over during conditioning.
If, for example, the electrode is not connected correctly or the titration cell is humid, conditioning is stopped after a given time or a given volume of KF reagent added.
This new feature increases laboratory safety.
