

- #DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPEARPOINT AND DROPPOINT MANUAL#
- #DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPEARPOINT AND DROPPOINT SOFTWARE#
The automated methods provide unambiguous advantages and can be a considered viable alternatives to the manual dropping point test of waxes. The use of such devices is controversial and in the future, laboratories will seek out other alternatives. In addition to the comparatively tedious sample preparation and dual heating ramp procedure, the required ASTM thermometer includes poisonous mercury. Result variation will be higher due to the operator's bias.

The temperature is noted at this point.Ĭompared to the automatic method, visual event detection requires experienced operators in order to achieve sufficient results repeatability. A dual heating ramp procedure is then applied: first the temperature is raised by 2 ☌/min to 38 ☌ and then by 1 ☌/min until the first drop of the molten substance leaves the thermometer. Both thermometers with the adherent sample are then cooled for 5 minutes at 16 ☌ in the water bath before they are placed into test tubes that are immersed in the water bath at the same temperature. The pre-cooled ASTM thermometers are immersed into the molten sample. Both ASTM thermometers should be cooled to 16 ☌. The water bath should be maintained at 16 ☌. The setup requires a chilled water bath, two ASTM thermometers with one tenth of a degree resolution and two test tubes. If human observation is replaced with a device that records and evaluates the dropping point event automatically, the quality of the result is generally significantly improved: this is because there is no operator bias during the evaluation.Ī manual method for the dropping point test of waxes is described in the ASTM D127 standard. In summary, manual dropping point testing is a time-consuming, hazardous, error prone process that is strongly influenced by operator bias. Furthermore, a mercury thermometer is used to monitor the temperature. Once this happens, the operator needs to quickly note the temperature. The drop point itself is a suddenly occurring event, as the liquefied drop is accelerated by gravity as it escapes the cup. Manual methods require visual inspection of the dropping point process, which is tedious as the attention of an operator is required for quite a long time to continuously monitor the test process. Depending on the dropping temperature of the test substance, different liquids have to be used in the liquid bath. Manual methods use a thermostatic liquid bath and mercury thermometer. The sample is weighed with a standardized ball. Illustration: Softening point cup with 6.35 mm orifice containing sample in the furnace.

Once the sample softens and extends down far enough to reach a 19 mm distance from the cup orifice, the furnace temperature is recorded as the softening point temperature of the sample. In order to force the precipitation of the softened sample from the cup when heated, the sample can be weighted with a ball of standardized dimensions made of stainless steel. Softening point tests require a dedicated sample cup with a 6.35 mm orifice in the bottom, which is wider than that of a dropping point cup. The softening point is the temperature at which a substance has flowed a certain distance under defined test conditions. Samples are heated until they transform from a solid into a liquid state. Softening point definition: The softening point (SP) is a characteristic property of a material. Generally, the softening point test is one of the few easily achievable methods available to thermally characterize substances such as resins, rosins, bitumen, asphalt, pitch and tars. Synthetic and natural products can gradually soften its temperature rises and melt over a relatively large temperature interval.
#DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPEARPOINT AND DROPPOINT SOFTWARE#
Connectivity Software solutions Data flow from one instrument to another.
