Application Finder

At a crime scene, a police officer collects a fiber sample that may prove to be invaluable evidence in identifying a criminal or exonerating an innocent person. In recent years, Raman spectroscopy has been studied extensively for forensic fiber analysis because of the high selectivity of Raman signatures, non-destruction nature of the test, and the ability to conduct the analysis without any sample preparation. The Raman spectrum can be measured directly on fabrics or fibers mounted on glass slide with very little interference from the mounting resin or the glass.

Indication of the titration endpoint of the weakly alkaline or weakly acidic terminal groups in non-aqueous solution is frequently not easy. An improvement is possible by using a suitable titrant (TBAH = tetrabutylammonium hydroxide for terminal carboxyl groups; perchloric acid for terminal amino groups).An improvement in the evaluation can also be achieved by choosing benzyl alcohol as the solvent.The choice of electrode combination and the measuring setup is also important. Differential potentiometry using the three-electrode technique results in a great improvement in titrations in poorly conducting solutions. Noisy signals are eliminated.

After the degradation of biological samples (e.g. milk, wool, etc.), it is often important to know the cystine/cysteine ratio. This Application Bulletin describes the simultaneous, polarographic determination of the two amino acids. The determination is performed in perchloric acid solution at the DME. Samples with a high protein content require that the determination is performed in an alkaline solution.

The present Application Bulletin describes applications that use near-infrared spectroscopy. Each application describes the used and alternatively deployable spectrometer as well as analysis conditions and results and, where available, information on feasibility studies.

In textiles, the water-repelling effect may be introduced by different treatments, such as the application of fluorochemicals. These compounds, especially perfluoroorganic substances, are extremely persistent in the environment and are therefore listed as emergent contaminants. Combustion IC with pyrohydrolysis and subsequent ion chromatographic determination is applied to analyze the fluorine content in fabrics.

Determination of chromium in leather waste solutions in the range between 1000 and 30,000 ppm.

Determination of chlorite by direct thermometric titration with standard sodium thiosulfate solution. The procedurewas applied originally to the determination of chlorite in hide treatment solutions.

This Application Note demonstrates how NIR spectroscopy can be used to determine the content of coatings on nylon fibers, quickly and without requiring either sample preparation or the use of reagents. In order to suppress the effects arising from scattering on the surface coatings, one forms the second derivative spectra; the linear least-squares regression method is used to calculate the calibration function.

Caprolactam is an important polymer used for the production of Nylon 6, which is the base material for industrial fibers. Due to its commercial significance, many different synthesis methods have been developed over the years. Caprolactam is hygroscopic and water soluble, therefore it is important to have a reliable analysis technique for water determination. Analyzing the water content by conventional methods requires each sample to be weighed, dissolved, heated, and titrated. Compared to the primary method, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) offers unique advantages: it generates reliable results within seconds, but it does not need any sample preparation nor does it create chemical waste.

This Application Note demonstrates how the OMNIS NIR Analyzer Solid quickly determines the cotton content in various textile products within just 30 seconds.

Monitoring sulfuric acid and zinc sulfate in the viscose wet-spinning process is essential. Online potentiometric titration and colorimetric analysis are recommended for this purpose.

Permanganate absorption number (PAN) analysis per ISO 8660 ensures caprolactam purity, a precursor of Nylon 6. This application describes real-time, continuous PAN monitoring.

The size of the indigo molecule makes it difficult to dye synthetic fibers, but the large pores of cellulose (such as in cotton) accept it readily. Indigo is insoluble in water, so it must first be reduced to the water-soluble leuco-indigo form by sodium hydrosulfite in a strong alkaline bath. Good circulation within the bath is imperative for consistent dye coverage, but care must be taken not to introduce any oxygen. Fabrics must be oxidized between dips in the dye bath in order to set the indigo within the pores of the fibers, but multiple dips are necessary for darker, uniform coverage. Many parameters need to be monitored and controlled to ensure high quality of the end product: the pH value for proper NaOH (alkali) dosage, the concentrations of both hydrosulfite and indigo, as well as the temperature of the bath and even the redox potential.

Inline Ultrafiltration is a proven sample preparation technique for samples that are slightly or massively contaminated with particles, algae or bacteria. Filtration and injection are coupled and fully automatic. As a rule, 100 or more samples can be filtered through a single membrane. Service life is extended – even with highly contaminated tannery effluent – to more than 300 injections because the filter membrane is rinsed again once more after the analysis with the aid of the Dosino backflush.

Determination of chromium(VI) (chromate) in leather extract using anion chromatography with UV/VIS detection after post-column reaction (PCR) and inline dialysis for sample preparation.

Chromate is allergenic, carcinogenic and extremely toxic. It is therefore subject to strict monitoring. It is present in different concentrations in drinking water, toys, textiles, leather and many other materials. Metrohm has developed various methods for ion chromatographic determination of chromium(VI) which, thanks to Inline Sample Preparation, are suitable for a variety of matrices and concentration ranges – from ng/L to mg/L.

Titration is one of the most commonly used analytical methods. Manual, semiautomated, and fully automated titrationsare well-known options and are examined in detail in several academic studies. This white paper summarizes the advantages and benefits of automated titration in comparison to manual titration. The increase in accuracy and precision of measurements as well as significant time and cost savings are discussed.