Colour measurement of liquid chemical products with the Vista spectrophotometer

In the chemical industry, the precise determination of the color of transparent liquid products such as benzene, ethylene and propylene, as well as solvents and various lubricating oils such as engine oil, is very important in development and quality management. To qualify the color of petrochemicals, solvents and lubricants, an exact color measurement in transmission is the appropriate procedure. Some of these products work with internationally defined color numbers such as APHA/PtCo/Hazen, Gardner, Saybolt and others. HunterLab color measurement offers the perfect solution for determining exact color values and the right color number at the same time.

The task

In addition to the precise measurement of CIE L*a*b* color values, the reliable determination of various color numbers is also desired when examining petrochemical liquids and oils. Color measurement should be as simple and quick as possible.

The solution

The Vista spectrophotometer can be used to precisely measure the transmission of transparent, liquid chemical products. In addition to the usual color scales, all color numbers commonly used in the chemical industry can also be displayed immediately during measurement (see box). Macro, semi-micro and ultra-micro cuvettes (made of glass or plastic) with a path length of 1 cm are usually used for color measurement. This allows all color numbers to be measured and output in the desired (standard-compliant) standard layer thickness.

The measurement is very simple:

• Fill the cuvette with liquid
• Insert the cuvette into the holder
• Trigger measurement
• Read measured values on the device

The Vista

• Analytical color measurement system as a replacement for visual color assessment. Measurement of color, turbidity and haze!
• Measurement of the CIE/ASTM color values and many color numbers in the desired film thickness with output in the standard film thickness.
• Integrated EasyMatch Essentials quality control software (QC) – no PC required
• Flow-through cuvettes for continuous color measurements available
• User-friendly standardization at the touch of a button – no accessories required
• Designed for speed: Delivers complete measurement results in less than a second

The accessories

The following cuvettes with matching holder:

• Rectangular cells with layer thicknesses from 2 mm to 50 mm
• Macro cuvettes (from 2.5 ml)
• Semi-microcuvettes (from 0.6 ml)
• Ultra-microcuvettes (from 300 µl)
• Flow-through cuvettes