WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM FOR LABORATORY APPLICATIONS
In the accelerated weathering and corrosion test labs, pure water is used mainly to simulate the rain effects on outdoors materials and should therefore not contain contaminants absent from rainwater. The water is run through the spray nozzles and sprayed on samples.
Consistent and valid test results cannot be assured when contaminants enter the weathering test chamber.
Several water contaminants (organics, silica, metals, particles, bacteria…) can impact weathering tests:
The effects of a coating or film caused by any of the contaminants listed above are as follows:
- A coating on the black panel in the chamber can decrease its heat absorption, resulting in inaccurate temperature readings for the samples; therefore, the test will be run at the false temperature.
- Coatings on the chamber light sensor will cause it to incorrectly read the intensity of lamp. This will cause it to automatically boost power to the lamp to compensate for its lower output (sensed inaccurately). The result is that the test may be run at too high a light intensity, potentially changing the results, and shortening the life of the lamp.
- Contaminants may also cause plugging of the spray and humidification nozzles, which will influence the reliability of the test and result in the need to clean or replace the nozzles.
- The sample itself is sensitive to the water quality. Using water with high loads of contaminants may result in deposits, spots, rusting at the surface of the sample.
How to Reach the Adequate Water Purity
A combination of technologies is usually required to remove the different contaminants causing the issues listed above.
Colloidal silica is efficiently removed by reverse osmosis cartridges. The reactive silica, form that creates deposits, is moderately removed by reverse osmosis. The addition of technologies such as electrodeionization and ion exchange resins allows reaching levels of silica at the low µg/L (ppb) concentration. The combination of those three purification technologies is recommended to maintain a low level of silica over time.
Those technologies also reduce the level of organics to a TOC < 50 ppb. The particles are removed by the reverse osmosis cartridge as well as by the depth filter typically installed upstream the reverse osmosis cartridge. Ions are removed to a low level by all three technologies mentioned previously: reverse osmosis removes the bulk of these ions, and the ion exchange processes (electrodeionization and / or ion exchange resins) complete the removal of the ion to trace level.
In our Instruments Division, as a global supplier for quality control equipment (textile, weathering, corrosion etc.) we have an alliance with Merck to be able to supply the market leader’s laboratory water purification equipment.
In our range of water purification equipment, you will find the equipment you need for scientific applications, in pharmaceutical, academic, industrial, research and government laboratories.
Contact our support team:
- Telephone: 93 784 15 90
- instrumets@adigrupo.com
