Halogen Moisture Analyzer Vs Infrared Moisture Analyzers: How to Choose your Moisture Analyzer

Halogen moisture analyzers are the most popular type of heating system amongst Precisa customers, but did you know we also offer infrared Moisture Analyzers and Infrared Dark Radiator Moisture Analyzers? When it comes to choosing your moisture analyzer, the type of heating system can offer different advantages depending on the intended use.

In this article, we will explore each type of heating element and what applications they are best suited for to help you make the best choice for your laboratory.

Moisture analyzers are a vital piece of equipment for many industries in product testing and quality control procedures.

Traditionally, a drying oven would be used to measure the moisture content of a sample. This would be a laborious and time-consuming task. Ovens dry samples by using convection heating – the transfer of heat from one place to another, in this case via air. To measure the moisture content of sample using an oven, the sample is weighed, heated in an oven until dry and then reweighed. This can take several hours and slow productivity.

Precisa Moisture Analyzer’s contain either an infrared or halogen heating system, therefore they use both convection and radiation to dry samples (radiation is the energy transmission in wave or particle form through a medium, this this case that would be the samples). This significantly speeds up the drying process. When using a moisture analyser, the sample is weighed, heated and reweighed in one compact device. As samples are heated much more efficiently than using an oven, the entire process saves valuable time and lab space. You can read more about the ease of measuring moisture content using a moisture analyzer in our recent article “Measuring Moisture Content in 3 Easy Steps”

One consideration when choosing a moisture analyzer is the type of heating element it uses. Precisa offers two types of heating system: halogen moisture analyzer and infrared moisture analyzer.

Halogen Moisture Analyzer

A halogen moisture analyzer offers rapid heating, faster than the other heating systems. Halogen moisture analyzers contain a glass tube filled with halogen gas and a tungsten heating element. The temperature is slightly easier to control. Precisa recommends a halogen moisture analyser for most applications.

Infrared Moisture Analyzer

Infrared moisture analyzers utilise infrared radiation to heat samples and remove moisture. The radiation is absorbed by the sample, so it is better to use for dark-coloured samples than light-coloured samples that will reflect the radiation. It is also very important that the samples are measured as a thin, evenly spread layer to avoid sample scorching or incomplete drying. Infrared moisture analyzers are recommended for users who are replacing existing models.

Infrared Dark Radiator Moisture Analyzer

Precisa also offer Infrared Dark radiator moisture analyzers. Infrared dark radiator moisture analysers are halogen heated systems but contain a tubular metal element instead of glass. This makes them the ideal moisture analyzer for the food industry (regulations do not allow glass to be involved in the manufacturing process).  As dark radiator heat samples more slowly and do not reach as high a temperature as glass containing halogen and infrared moisture analyzers, they are recommended for very thermosensitive samples.

Precisa’s Moisture Analyzer Range

Precisa moisture analyzers can be customized, with a choice of 3 heating systems based on your needs from the moisture analyzer.

We have a range of models with different specifications that will meet your requirements. As well as heating systems, you can choose your moisture analyser based on the maximum temperature, capacity, or readability. All of our moisture analysers are carefully designed to be user friendly with intuitive graphical interface, and a small footprint to minimise space taken up in the lab.

If you’d like to hear more about our halogen, infrared and infrared dark radiator options, discover what is most suitable for your lab and discuss moisture analyser prices, simply contact our sales team today to find out more.

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