MCE Technology for Chloride and Sulfate Analyzers

Mettler Toldeo, under their Thornton brand, employs Microfluidic Capillary Electrophoresis in the on-line measurement of chlorides and sulfates. This measurement system delivers actionable measurements of these potentially harmful water constituents, enabling timely corrective action to be taken and prevent damage to turbines and other steam utilization equipment.

The MCE technology is currently available on Thornton's 3000CS  Analyzer which provides on-line measurements every 45 minutes. The system reduces cost of ownership and provides faster results than methods requiring sampling and off-line processing.

Share your steam system and fluid analytical challenges with fluid process analytic specialists, combining your own knowledge and experience with their product application expertise to develop effective solutions.

Online Chlorine Monitor

Online chlorine and TRO analyzer
Photo courtesy HF Scientific

Online chlorine analyzers are utilized throughout industrial and commercial applications for the monitoring and control of chlorine in potable water, seawater, swimming pool water, process water, waste water, food processing, pulp and paper, and more. Every application benefits from instrumentation delivering accurate and reliable results with a minimum amount of human intervention.

Many instruments are available, with each possibly having a set of construction and operational features that will make it an advantageous choice for a particular application or installation.

The CLX-XT2 online chlorine monitor from HF Scientific is optimized for high temperature marine applications and provides extended reagent life and unattended operation of up to 90 days. The instrument includes communications and output signals that can be used to control chemical feed pumps or provide alarm function.

More detail on the unit is provided below. Share your analytical measurement challenges with application specialists, combining your own knowledge and experience with their instrumentation application expertise to develop effective solutions.

Online Chlorine and TRO Monitor from Classic Controls, Inc.

Water Quality Analysis – Constituent Survey (Part 1)

Many industrial and commercial processes rely on
specific water quality requirements

Of all the raw materials available for human consumption – aside from the air we breathe – the most vital component of life on earth is water. In addition to the global need for humans to drink water in order to survive, the use of water is essential in a myriad of industries relating to process control. Whether the goal is the production or monitoring of pure water for industrial use, or the processing of wastewater, the ability to measure the presence and level of certain chemical constituents of water is necessary for success.

In order to use water properly, industrial professionals combine state of the art analyzers with technical expertise to evaluate water quality for use or disposal. Two essential values of process control are ensuring elements of a control system are accurate and secure, and, furthermore, that they are accurate and secure for each product every time. By properly vetting water in industry, engineers and other personnel in fields such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, food & beverage, brewing, power, and microelectronics are able to maintain standards of production excellence and conform with regulatory requirements related to water quality.

The amount of dissolved oxygen present in water can correlate with the degree of movement at an air-water interface, also being impacted by pressure, temperature, and salinity. Excessive or deficient dissolved oxygen levels in industrial process waters may have an impact on process performance or end product quality. Likely, the most common application for dissolved oxygen measurement is in the evaluation of wastewater for biological oxygen demand. The primary function of dissolved oxygen in wastewater is to enable and enhance the oxidation of organic material by aerobic bacteria, a necessary step in treatment.

To measure dissolved oxygen, specialized sensors and companion instruments are employed that require careful maintenance and trained technical operators. The level of measurement precision varies depending on the industry employing the technology, with numerous applications also being found in the food & beverage and pharmaceutical industries. In-line continuous measurement is used in wastewater processing to determine if the dissolved oxygen remains in a range that supports the bacteria necessary for biodegradation.

Chloride concentration in wastewater is strictly regulated. Industrial and commercial operation effluent can be regulated with respect to allowable chloride content. While commonly found in both streams and wastewater, chlorides, in large amounts, can present challenges to water utilization or processing facilities. Chloride levels impact corrosion, conductivity, and taste (for industries in which such a variable is paramount). In a process system, having an essential component marred due to elevated quantities of a substance could reverberate into any end-product being manufactured. Chloride analyzers, some of which can also detect and monitor other water characteristics, serve as important tools for water consuming facilities to meet regulatory standards for effluent discharge or internal quality standards for recycling.

There are other constituents of what we refer to as “water” that are subject to measurement and monitoring for a range of institutional, industrial, and municipal applications. Those will be explored in the next part of this article series.

The measurement of dissolved oxygen or chloride concentration requires special equipment and techniques. Share your water quality measurement requirements and challenges with fluid process specialists, combining your own knowledge and experience with their product application expertise to develop effective solutions.

Chloride & Sulfate Process Analyzer

Determining the levels of chloride and sulfate in water is especially useful to power plant operators. Contamination of the power plant process water by chloride and sulfate leads to corrosion, pitting, and stress corrosion cracking in pressurized equipment and piping. The deposits that can result from contamination reduce heat transfer efficiency. Boilers and turbines suffer under the effects of excessive chloride and sulfate levels, so monitoring of their levels at critical locations in the steam system provides operators with actionable information that can be used to maintain efficiency and reduce maintenance demand.

Mettler Toledo, under their Thornton brand, provides a reliable and affordable analyzer for chloride and sulfate concentration in water. The video included with this post outlines the operational advantages of microfluidic capillary electrophoresis, the measuring technology employed in their system.

Share your on-line process analysis challenges with product application specialists, combining your own process knowledge and experience with their product application expertise to develop and effective solution.