New SmartPrep™ Weighing Funnel: Weigh-in Samples More Accurately in Half the Time
Greifensee, Switzerland (PRWEB) June 16, 2014 -- METTLER TOLEDO has launched SmartPrep™ – a new weighing funnel set to reduce sample weighing-in times by half for laboratory professionals. Manually weighing-in powders for volumetric sample preparation using weighing paper, or weighing boats, is not only an awkward process, but also carries an inherent risk of error due to loss of sample on the paper itself or in the problematic transfer to the volumetric flask. SmartPrep is a single-use anti-static weighing funnel from METTLER TOLEDO designed to make the weighing-in process much easier and is up to 50% faster than with weighing paper. The unique dosing process enables laboratory personnel to weigh out directly onto the flat dosing area of the funnel – eradicating the need to spend time folding paper into the correct shape. The sample is then rinsed off straight into the volumetric flask using the desired solvent. As the entire sample is safely transferred to the flask, measurement accuracy improves and the need for back-weighing, as with weighing paper, is completely eliminated.
Preparing samples in a laboratory with traditional weighing paper is not without problems. The sheets tend to slip around on the weighing pan, especially when the paper is folded with a center crease, so dosing onto the paper is not always straightforward. Transferring the sample from the weighing paper to a volumetric flask is not straight-forward and there is always the risk that minute sample loss will occur in the transfer process. Ultrafine grains of sample material may adhere to even the smoothest paper surface and can easily go unnoticed. An additional problem occurs when particles stick to the inside of the flask neck near the lip. This requires very careful addition of the solvent to rinse the particles from the lip into the flask.
METTLER TOLEDO’s SmartPrep weighing funnel simplifies the weighing-in process by eliminating the need to use weighing paper or weighing boats. The sample is weighed directly onto the open dosing area of the funnel, which is then placed into the neck of the volumetric flask and the sample is simply rinsed off into the flask with the solvent: weigh, transfer and rinse.
• Weigh: SmartPrep has a flat bottom so that it sits securely on the balance weighing pan. The open dosing area of the funnel provides a high level of accessibility making the weighing process simple and straightforward; it’s easy to add or remove sample material as required. SmartPrep is made from anti-static propylene to prevent particles from the sample from becoming charged and scattering in the vicinity. This ‘cling-free’ surface ensures the handling of hazardous and toxic powders is much safer.
• Transfer and rinse: The SmartPrep funnel fits a range of different flask sizes from 10 to 250 ml. The funnel is simply inserted into the neck of the flask and the solvent required for the sample preparation is used to rinse the sample off the funnel. Both coarse and fine grained materials slide down smoothly into the flask. The funnel is thoroughly rinsed with the solvent to avoid sample loss. The flask neck stays clean at the top and there is negligible opportunity for fluid spillage. Moreover, the integrated venting slot ensures that air escapes to allow the liquid to flow down naturally, without backing up and causing spills. No back-weighing of SmartPrep is necessary as all the sample has been effectively rinsed off.
• Easy and secure sample preparation: The SmartPrep disposable weighing funnel complements all analytical balances with a simple, safe and fast means for weighing-in the powdered constituents of standard solutions, with the additional benefit of saving a considerable amount of time.
For more information on the new SmartPrep, please visit:
http://www.mt.com/SmartPrep
Julia Schenk, METTLER TOLEDO, http://www.mt.com, +41 44 944 25 72, [email protected]
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