Today’s blog is all about moisture analyzers for medical devices in your laboratory!
Moisture content is an essential variable that has to be monitored for and controlled during the primary production of plastic medical device parts. Resin manufacturers provide some material specification sheets detailing the true maximum moisture specification or maximum allowable ratio of water within the resin before molding or extrusion. Depending on the resin, maximum moisture specification could vary from 0.20% to as low as 0.005%. The manufacturer’s data sheet will also provide typical guidelines for drying temperature and time for the resin before molding. For example, a usual drying specification is drying resin at about 180 degrees F for about four hours before molding. However, these general recommendations don’t consider where the resin is stored or the drying systems’ efficiency. When the following recommendations for drying temperature on time, the result can be satisfactory if the resin is within the anticipated moisture levels before loading into your dryer. Read on to learn about moisture analyzers for medical devices in your laboratory!
Accurate Measurement of Moisture Content in Plastic Resin
ASTM standard D6869 is the primary benchmark for measuring the moisture content of some plastic resin and stipulates the use of any Karl Fischer (KF) titration as the applicable standard method. However, KF titrators are expensive and hard to maintain. Testing moisture with just a KF titrator requires the usage of toxic chemicals, so the test could only be performed by trained chemists using the proper safety precautions. Therefore, most manufacturers prefer to use alternative methods for moisture testing. ASTM 6980 states that a loss-on-drying moisture analyzer could also be an alternative method for testing moisture in plastic resin. LOD moisture content of a sample. Because they can’t distinguish between weight loss from water and weight loss from different volatiles being driven off by heating the sample, ASTM 6980 requires that the testing methods on a LOD analyzer are developed to correlate to the ASTM 6869 KF titration standards.
Conclusions for Moisture Analyzer
Manufacturers of any medical parts recognize the necessity of closely and accurately monitoring the moisture content of any plastic resin throughout the manufacturing process. The high cost of resins used in making these parts, the stringent specification these parts have to meet, and the possible liability should a component fail all make buying a LOD moisture analyzer an intelligent investment. The Mark 3 High-Performance Moisture Analyzer is an excellent choice for such manufacturers. To learn more about moisture analyzers and how they can help your lab, give the Lab People a visit!
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Lab People Inc. is a trusted provider of laboratory equipment, services, supplies, and rental equipment for you and your laboratory. As an ISO 17025 accredited service organization, we stand behind our services with 100% satisfaction guaranteed for all our customers. We offer on-site and off-site calibration services for balances, pipettes, moisture analyzers, force measurement, test weights, and more. Services include preventative maintenance, SQ-Min, IQOQ, repairs, legal for trace/placed in service, verification, and more.
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