Fact or Friction: Your Balance Static Questions Answered
Is your balance display slowly drifting while trying to take a weight? Are balance readings unstable?
These issues can be attributed to a well-known culprit: static electricity. Electrostatically charged samples can not only create frustration but also adversely affect weighing accuracy and waste material and lead to significant errors. Here are some common questions and answers about static.
Fact: Friction is by far the most common cause of electrostatic discharges.
Many laboratory tasks — like using a cloth to dry a glass beaker, picking up a measuring flask with disposable gloves, or filling a weigh pan with powder — can generate measurable electrostatic charges that interfere with weighing results.
Fact: The climate conditions of your lab affect your weighing results.
Relative humidity levels less than 40 to 50% increase electrostatic charge issues. The lower the humidity, the less chance that charged particles will find water molecules to “surf” on to get to a convenient place.
Depending on the relative humidity, a charge may take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes to dissipate. In controlled and dry atmospheres with less than 20% relative humidity, charges on materials can cause weights to drift several hundred milligrams and may persist for many hours.
Fiction: There is no way to dissipate electrostatic charges.
METTLER TOLEDO anti-static kits use alternating current (AC) to generate ions and immediately neutralize electrostatic charges from samples or containers. This method is effective, completely safe, and does not disturb air currents or increase stabilization time. The time savings, efficiency gains, and safety improvements make it a sound investment for your lab.
The XPR Solution
Advances in METTLER TOLEDO analytical weighing technology enable the latest generation of analytical balances to automatically detect, measure, and record electrostatic charges during a weighing operation. The integrated ionizer module can then eliminate these charges to avoid any influence on the weighing result. The static detection cycle is performed in just a few seconds while the balance settles, so there’s no delay in obtaining the weighing result.
| Description | Capacity | Readability | Mfr. No. | Cat. No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balances | ||||
| XPR Balance XPR205, Single Range | 220 g | 0.01 mg | 30355411 | 01-919-124 |
| XPR Balance XPR225DR, Delta Range | 121/220 g | 0.01/0.1 mg | 30594483 | 01-915-004 |
| XPR Balance XPR225DU, Dual Range | 121/220 g | 0.01/0.1 mg | 30594488 | 01-915-003 |
| Ionizing Molecules and Kits | ||||
| XPR Integrated Internal Ionizer Modules | 30460823 | 13-940-060 | ||
| Anti-Static Kits, with Large U-Electrode and Power Supply* | 63052302 | 01-910-021 | ||
*Universal kit; works with all balances and weighing substances
Content provided by:
