Nippon - Model RA-4500 -Fully Automated Reducing Vaporization Mercury Analyzer
The RA-4500 is the highest grade model of our reducing-vaporization mercury analyzer, which was developed to meet customer’s needs for “more efficient measuring methods in compliance with various testing methods without troublesome wet pretreatment.”
For the first time ever, measuring steps from pretreatment through to measurement of liquid samples, such as tap water, industrial waste water and soil eluate, are fully automated. The required amount of sample is as small as 5 mL, and reagents as well as waste fluid can be significantly reduced. Thus, compared to previous methods, operation cost can be reduced by up to 50%.
In mercury measurements, the process that affects measurement accuracy most is the sample wet pretreatment step. However, the following points must be cleared:
- Decomposition of substances that are difficult to decompose and determination of the end point
- Adsorption and volatilization of mercury during wet pretreatment
- Contamination from reagents and vessels
- Handling of hazardous reagents and disposal of waste fluid
- Health and safety management during long time work, experience, skills, safety education, etc.
The RA-4500 solves all of these issues.
Fully automated max.10 wet pre-treatment steps
In the RA-4500, the 10 wet pretreatment steps including the reagent (such as sulfuric acid) addition, heating/cooling, and the residual potassium permanganate checking are fully automated. Atomic mercury can be subjected to wet pretreatment, vaporized by the bubbler and then measured by cold-vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy with the highest level of sensitivity and accuracy in this class.
The RA-4500 allows for measurements in accordance with standards and regulations such as Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare Notification no. 261; Testing Methods for Industrial Wastewater (JIS K 0102); Environment Agency Notification no. 59; and Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act (Environment Agency Notification no. 46), and offers software that conforms to the revised Waterworks Act, which increases convenience.
In addition to the basic functions of the previous model, this equipment adopts newly developed technology, which, thus, adds new functions to the previous model.
- Daily inspection that can check the equipment stability is automated.
- A noncontact sensor ensures the detection of undecomposed samples, and potassium permanganate color can be accurately determined.*1
- A new heating method using an infrared heater, and equipment construction with integrated exhaust duct & drip-proof enclosure
- The peak for mercury and the peak for other substances are automatically identified.
- Recording of measurement history in compliance with Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare Notification no. 261
*1: These are auxiliary functions, so please make the final check by yourself.
Applications, Test methods
The RA-4500 measurement technique is suitable for a wide variety of aqueous samples, including drinking waters, industrial wastewaters, river waters, lake waters, seawaters, rain-runoff, and more.