Metrohm 873 Biodiesel Rancimat Manual - Manual (Page 9)

￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭ 1 Introduction
873 Biodiesel Rancimat ￭￭￭￭￭￭￭￭ 1
1 Introduction
1.1 Instrument description
The 873 Biodiesel Rancimat is a PC-controlled measuring device for deter-
mining the oxidation stability of biodiesel and biodiesel blends (mixture of
biodiesel and conventional diesel fuel) according to the standard
EN 14112.
It is equipped with two heating blocks each with 4 measuring positions
(channels). Every block can be heated individually, i.e. 4 samples can each
be measured at 2 different temperatures or 8 samples at the same temper-
ature. The measurements at the individual measuring positions can be
started individually for this.
Operation of the 873 Biodiesel Rancimat is realized completely via a PC
connected to the RS-232 interface using the control and evaluation program
873 Biodiesel Rancimat. Up to 4 instruments can be connected to each
PC, hence allowing a maximum of 32 samples to be analyzed. The evaluation
algorithm of the PC program determines the break point of the Rancimat
curve fully automatically and hence the induction time. Besides the induc-
tion time, the so-called stability time, i.e. the time duration until attaining
a defined conductivity change, can also be determined. In the case of con-
ductivity changes (stages) which do not have anything to do with the
autoxidation, the evaluation can be interrupted for definite time intervals.
The results determined can be processed further by computer.
Each Rancimat curve can also be evaluated manually. A PC-supported tan-
gential method is available for this, in which you can position the tangents
anywhere on your curves. This makes evaluations possible in extreme cases
as well.
The results of the determinations are saved in a database together with all
methods and determination data. Determinations can be searched for, sor-
ted, filtered, exported and printed in the program part for the results display.
Besides the graphic display of single and multiple curves, recalculation with
altered parameters and extrapolation of the results to a definite temperature
is also possible.
GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) and instrument validation are becoming
increasingly important. The 873 Biodiesel Rancimat enables GLP tests for
temperature, conductivity and gas flow measurement. You determine
whether and which tests have to be carried out. You can also specify the
time interval between the tests as well as the requirements regarding accu-
racy. If the GLP function has been selected, each result report will receive a
comment stating whether the GLP tests have been fulfilled. Metrohm offers