TY - JOUR

T1 - Interlaboratory study of the operational stability of automated sorption balances.

AU - Zelinka, Samuel

AU - Glass, Samuel

AU - Lazarcik, Eleanor

AU - Thybring, Emil

AU - Altgen, Michael

AU - Rautkari, Lauri

AU - Curling, Simon

AU - Cao, Jinzhen

AU - Wang, Yujiao

AU - Kunniger, Tina

AU - Nystrom, Gustav

AU - Dreimol, Christopher Hubert

AU - Burgert, Ingo

AU - Uyup, Mohd Khairhun Anwar

AU - Khadiran, Tumirah

AU - Roper, Mark

AU - Broom, Darren

AU - Schwarzkopf, Matthew

AU - Yudhanto, Arief

AU - Subah, Mohammad

AU - Lubineau, Gilles

AU - Fredriksson, Maria

AU - Strojecki, Marcin

AU - Olek, Wieslaw

AU - Majka, Jerzy

AU - Pedersen, Nanna Bjerregaard

AU - Burnett, Daniel

AU - Garcia, Armando

AU - Verdonck, Els

AU - Dreisbach, Frieder

AU - Waguespack, Louis

AU - Schott, Jennifer

AU - Esteban, Luis

AU - Garcia-Iruela, Alberto

AU - Colinart, Thibaut

AU - Remond, Romain

AU - Mazian, Brahim

AU - Perre, Patrick

AU - Emmerich, Lukas

AU - Ling, Li

PY - 2024/10/1

Y1 - 2024/10/1

N2 - Automated sorption balances are widely used for characterizing the interaction of water vapor with hygroscopic materials. These instruments provide an efficient way to collect sorption isotherm data and kinetic data. A typical method for defining equilibrium after a step change in relative humidity (RH) is using a particular threshold value for the rate of change in mass with time. Recent studies indicate that commonly used threshold values yield substantial errors and that further measurements are needed at extended hold times as a basis to assess the accuracy of abbreviated equilibration criteria. However, the mass measurement accuracy at extended times depends on the operational stability of the instrument. Published data on the stability of automated sorption balances are rare. An interlaboratory study was undertaken to investigate equilibration criteria for automated sorption balances. This paper focuses on the mass, temperature, and RH stability and includes data from 25 laboratories throughout the world. An initial target for instrument mass stability was met on the first attempt in many cases, but several instruments were found to have unexpectedly large instabilities. The sources of these instabilities were investigated and greatly reduced. This paper highlights the importance of verifying operational mass stability of automated sorption balances, gives a method to perform stability checks, and provides guidance on identifying and correcting common sources of mass instability.

AB - Automated sorption balances are widely used for characterizing the interaction of water vapor with hygroscopic materials. These instruments provide an efficient way to collect sorption isotherm data and kinetic data. A typical method for defining equilibrium after a step change in relative humidity (RH) is using a particular threshold value for the rate of change in mass with time. Recent studies indicate that commonly used threshold values yield substantial errors and that further measurements are needed at extended hold times as a basis to assess the accuracy of abbreviated equilibration criteria. However, the mass measurement accuracy at extended times depends on the operational stability of the instrument. Published data on the stability of automated sorption balances are rare. An interlaboratory study was undertaken to investigate equilibration criteria for automated sorption balances. This paper focuses on the mass, temperature, and RH stability and includes data from 25 laboratories throughout the world. An initial target for instrument mass stability was met on the first attempt in many cases, but several instruments were found to have unexpectedly large instabilities. The sources of these instabilities were investigated and greatly reduced. This paper highlights the importance of verifying operational mass stability of automated sorption balances, gives a method to perform stability checks, and provides guidance on identifying and correcting common sources of mass instability.

U2 - 10.1007/s10450-024-00472-9

DO - 10.1007/s10450-024-00472-9

M3 - Article

VL - 30

SP - 1663

EP - 1674

JO - Adsorption

JF - Adsorption

SN - 1572-8757

IS - 7

ER -