How to Use a Portable Refractometer?

The portable refractometer is used to continuously measure the refractive index of the medium during the process. It can mainly measure the temperature and density of medium, including salinity, milk, brix, alcohol, antifreeze, coolant, wine and honey, and also can be used for beer brewing. The handheld refractmeter also named as brix refractometer, is applied in food industry, breeding industry, auto repair industry and many other fields.

How to use a portable refractometer?

Step 1: Open the daylight plate and drop 2-3 drops of distilled water or standard solution on the surface of the prism, cover the daylight plate so that the sample solution covers the entire prism surface without leaving bubbles or voids. Before observing, the sample solution should be left on the prism for about 30 seconds, so that the temperature of the sample and the refractometer can be consistent.

Step 2: Place the refractometer under the light source and observe the sample solution through the eyepiece. You can see a circular area marked with a scale. If the image is not clear enough, adjust the focusing tube to make the scale line clearer. The upper part of the area is blue, and the lower part is white.

Step 3: Observe the distilled water or standard solution through the eyepiece, and adjust the calibration screw until the boundary line of the blue and white area completely coincides with the 0 scale line. It is necessary to ensure that the surrounding temperature is within the range of 20°C or 68°F, so as to ensure that the accuracy of the measurement is not affected. When the temperature fluctuation of the working environment exceeds 5 degrees, please readjust to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the measurement results. If the refractometer is equipped with an automatic temperature compensation system, no matter when the instrument is recalibrated, it must be ensured that the ambient temperature during adjustment is 20°C. Once the adjustment is completed, the ambient temperature can fluctuate within the allowable range from 10℃ to 30℃ without affecting the accuracy of the measurement.

Step 4: It is necessary to replace distilled water or standard solution with the sample solution to be measured, and then repeat the first step, the second step and third step, and read the scale value of the blue and white dividing line. This scale value is the accurate measurement value of the concentration of the sample solution. After use, do not clean the refractometer with water to avoid water seeping into the lens cone. It must be wiped clean with a soft damp cloth to avoid corrosion and soiling of important optical components, otherwise the measurement results will be inaccurate.

Tips for using the refractometer

• After the measurement, you should directly wipe off the attachments on the surface of the prism and the cover with a damp cloth. After drying, it should be properly stored.
• It is a precision instrument, so be careful when using it.
• It is necessary to avoid touching or scratching the optical components.
• It needs to be placed in a dry, clean, and non-corrosive air environment to prevent the surface from blurring.
• In the process of carrying, avoid strong vibration, so as not to damage the optical components and basic structure.