COMPUTRAC

Best Moisture Analyzer in the Business!

2012-01-10T06:59:00.000-08:00

Computrac® MAX® 4000XL Highlights

A few unique features to the Computrac® MAX® 4000XL

• MAX® 4000XL has a fan that comes on after the test is over to help cool the heating element

down quicker. This produces a 25% quicker throughput of product.

• MAX® 4000XL is capable of allowing a customer to control the ramp rate. This comes in handy if

a customer would like to know exactly when some of the other components in their product

evaporate at temperature heating.

• MAX® 4000XL has the ability for Ethernet hook up for remote access through the internet. The

software program is a little different and allows you to develop parameters for product.

• MAX® 4000XL allows the user to write the final test result formula. The Equation Editor

calculates and displays results related to the parameters used to calculate moisture %.

• MAX® 4000XL stores 1000 of the last tests with 100 of the last graphs.

• MAX® 4000XL has an optional Bar Code Reader. If you are interested in identifying your sample

using a Bar Code System, this optional feature is available.

• MAX® 4000XL has a Parameter Expert and Parameter Optimizer program that allows in house

method development.

For additional information please contact:

Customer Service or Sales Representative or call us at 800.528.7411.

Brochure | Manual | Quote | Computrac Tradeshows

New Employee Announcement

2012-01-09T06:35:00.000-08:00

Arizona Instrument LLC welcomes Idonia Mancillas to the Marketing Department! Idonia has joined us from the Customer Service Department. She has been doing a phenomenal job for our company in the service department for nearly 5 years, and will be a huge asset to the Marketing Department.

Her official title will be Marketing Specialist, and she will be handling our tradeshow shipping coordination, sales literature requests and lead entry. We are so excited to have her on the Marketing Team!

Shari Moore
Marketing Manager
Arizona Instrument LLC

Instruments for Moisture & Water Activity Determination - IFT.org

2011-10-26T13:35:00.001-07:00

Instruments for Moisture & Water Activity Determination - IFT.org

See us at Interphex Puerto Rico Booth #431!

2011-10-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

Need more information? Call us at 800.528.7411 or email sales@azic.com.

End of Life Notification

2011-10-07T07:27:00.000-07:00

Please note that as of October 30, 2011, Arizona Instrument can no longer guarantee production on the following lines of moisture analyzers. Some of the components within these units are no longer available, are out of production, or can no longer be manufactured to our specifications.

Though we cannot guarantee new production of the following instruments, but will continue to service our existing customers for many years to come.

• Computrac^â MAX® 1000
• Computrac® MAX® 2000
• Computrac® MAX® 2000XL
• Computrac® MAX® 2000XL 4.36 Advantage

*MAX® Series was first introduced in June 1994

In place of these instrument models, we offer the Computrac® MAX® 4000XL High Performance Moisture Analyzer. We also offer the MAX® 4000 for customers using the MAX® 1000. Please see the Computrac® MAX® 4000XL Highlights or call our sales department at 800.528.7411 or email sales@azic.com.

If you have any questions regarding the production of Computrac® moisture analyzers, please call Customer Service at 800.235.3360 or 602.470.1414, or email us at support@azic.com.

As always, we appreciate your continued support.

Sincerely,
Rick Ervin, Vice President - Sales

Three Promotions within Arizona Instrument LLC

2011-09-26T08:30:00.001-07:00

ARIZONA INSTRUMENT LLC
Exclusive Manufacturer of Computrac® Moisture Analyzers and Jerome® Toxic Gas Analyzers
3375 N. Delaware St.
Chandler, AZ 85225
marketing@azic.com | www.azic.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THREE PROMOTIONS WITHIN ARIZONA INSTRUMENT LLC
Congratulations to Linda Shepherd, Ben Brown, and Rick Ervin

Chandler, Ariz (September 26, 2011) – [ARIZONA INSTRUMENT LLC], the makers of Computrac Moisture Analyzers and Jerome Toxic Gas Analyzers, announces the following promotions, effective immediately, including:

Linda Shepherd from Controller to Vice President – Finance
Ben Brown from Operations Manager to Vice President – Operations
Rick Ervin from Director of Sales to Vice President – Sales

“Each of these individuals has been a key part of our success at AZI, and we are thrilled to promote them to these important positions,” said George Hays, President of ARIZONA INSTRUMENT LLC. Linda Shepherd joined the company in 1984, Ben Brown in 1996, and Rick Ervin in 1993. In that time, each quickly rose to supervisory and management positions. “We plan to continue growing this company,” said Mr. Hays.

For additional information:

Shari Moore, Marketing Manager

800.528.7411 | marketing@azic.com

GREEN alternative to Karl Fischer titration

2011-07-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

The Computrac Vapor Pro series of Moisture Analyzers uses a relative humidity sensor-based technology and correlates to the Karl Fischer coulometric titration method (with an oven attachment) in precision and accuracy. The analyzers do not utilize reagents, minimizing consumables, and is simple to operate.

Computrac Vapor Pro series heats a sample of test material in a septum bottle. Evolved volatiles are passed to an analysis cell where the moisture content of flowing gas is measured. A microprocessor integrates the vaying moisture signal and convers the signal to micrograms of water for display. Results are available in parts per million, percent moisture, or total micrograms of water.

Arizona Instrument's prediction algorithm automatically terminates the test in just minutes when sufficient information is collected to allow accurate determination of the sample's moisture content. The heating range of the Vapor Pro series is 25°C to 275°C. Test parameters such as sample size, heater temperature and test ending criteria can be altered to optimize speed and accuracy.

Computrac Vapor Pro Moisture Specific Analyzer
Computrac Vapor Pro Rx Moisture Specific Analyzer (Pharmaceuticals)
Computrac Vapor Pro Fx Moisture Specific Analyzer (Oils)

800.528.7411 | sales@azic.com | www.azic.com | Made in USA

What is Rapid Loss on Drying Technology?

2011-07-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

Computrac Moisture Determination provides a method of moisture analysis by utilizing the Loss on Drying (LOD) Method. Simply press start, and the instrument will tell you what to do!

After taring the pan, a sample is placed on the pan. The four place analytical balance weighs the initial sample, the ceramic or nickel chromium heating element heats up the sample evenly (no hot or cold spots) to the desired temperature. Our full service lab develops each customer's parameter set ahead of time (FREE) so the instrument will already know what you want to do - whether that be faster test times or more accurate results, or both.

Loss on Drying is a loss of weight on the sample. Arizona Instrument is unmatched in terms of accuracy and repeatability, durability and speed. Our instrumentation is precise enough for a lab environment, with product quality durability.

The heating elements are designed for even heating, to ensure rapid results with high accuracy and repeatability.

Check out our newest additions to the Computrac MAX line of moisture analyzers.
Contact our sales department for specific questions at 800.528.7411 | sales@azic.com.

Computrac MAX 5000XL Moisture | Solids | Ash Analyzer
Computrac MAX 4000XL Moisture | Solids Analyzer

Free Water Bottle at Plastec East!

2011-06-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

Stop by Booth #415 at Plastec East, and hit up Boss Man Ben for a free Computrac Water Bottle!

We will be featuring the Green Alternative to Karl Fischer - the Vapor Pro, and the latest and greatest addition to loss on drying technology, the Computrac MAX 4000XL Moisture | Solids Analyzer.

The MAX 4000XL has a cool down fan for greater throughput, a nitrogen purge option, and color LCD display, among its many features.

Find out more at http://www.azic.com/downloads/brochures/Computrac®%20MAX®%204000XL%20Brochure.pdf!

Training at AZI!

2011-05-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

Arizona Instrument has 4 visitors in training classes at our Chandler, Arizona facility location. Visit us at http://www.azic.com/cs_training.aspx to find out how to set up a training for your company!

See us at ANTEC in Boston!

2011-04-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

ANTEC
May 2-4, 2011 | Boston, MA
Stop by Booth #115 to pick up your
FREE Computrac Water Bottle!

Maximizing Power in Biomass

2011-04-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

Biomass is renewable energy derived from living organic material, or material that was recently alive. Wood pellets, corn husks, refuse, black liquor (a waste product of the paper making industry), and alcohol fuels are common examples of materials that classified as biomass. These sources are more sustainable than fossil fuels and, like fossil fuels, are typically incinerated for energy production. Understanding and controlling the moisture and ash content of biomass is important for optimizing its efficiency as a fuel. Further incomplete combustion generates black carbon, which is a pollutant and major contributor to global warming. Traditionally biomass materials have been analyzed for moisture using a conventional oven, and ash using a furnace. These methods are reliable, but often have
long test times, which hinder the manufacturer’s ability to address problems that may arise during processing and decrease the materials ability to act as a suitable energy alternative.

A new method for moisture and ash analysis has been developed that enables accurate moisture and ash testing. An instrument using this method was able to provide real time results, and final water and ash concentrations correlated to standard test methods currently used for multiple materials in different industries. Test times were significantly reduced which affords manufacturers the opportunity to make changes in process quickly

and maximize output.

Find out more at: http://bit.ly/gTmx6n

International Biomass Conference Expo
May 2-4, 2011 | St. Louis, MO
Stop by Booth #807 to pick up your
FREE Computrac Water Bottle!

Computrac MAX 5000XL Moisture | Solids | Ash Analyzer

2011-04-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

Rapid loss on drying instrumentation has proven to provide a more desirable method of moisture measurement when compared to traditional loss on drying techniques. The ease of use and reduction in test times increases manufacturing efficiency while simultaneously reducing energy costs. This instrumentation is able to provide real time moisture measurements to help users optimize moisture measurement methods.

Find out more at www.azic.com or call 800.528.7411.

COMPUTRAC: A Novel Investigation of Moisture and Ash Content ...

2011-03-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

COMPUTRAC: A Novel Investigation of Moisture and Ash Content ...: "With the world’s population projected to eclipse 7 billion in 2011, and growing at approximately 1.2% per year, finding useable energy resou..."

A Novel Investigation of Moisture and Ash Content in Biomass Material

2011-03-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

With the world’s population projected to eclipse 7 billion in 2011, and growing at approximately 1.2% per year, finding useable energy resources has become a global challenge. Diminishing supply and environmental concerns have been brought to light in recent years, exposing fossil fuels, currently the world’s primary source of energy, as unsustainable and potentially harmful to the environment. Because of this, clean renewable energy sources are controlling more of the available market, and biomass is one of the leading options on this front.

Biomass is renewable energy derived from living organic material, or material that was recently alive. Wood pellets, corn husks, refuse, black liquor (a waste product of the paper making industry), and alcohol fuels are common examples of materials that classified as biomass. These sources are more sustainable than fossil fuels and, like fossil fuels, are typically incinerated for energy production. Understanding and controlling the moisture and ash content of biomass is important for optimizing its efficiency as a fuel. Further, incomplete combustion generates black carbon, which is a pollutant and major contributor to global warming. Traditionally biomass materials have been analyzed for moisture using a conventional oven, and ash using a furnace. These methods are reliable, but often have long test times, which hinder the manufacturer’s ability to address problems that may arise during processing and decrease the materials ability to act as a suitable energy alternative.

A new method for moisture and ash analysis has been developed. Using the Computrac® MAX® 5000XL Moisture and Ash Analyzer, accurate moisture and ash testing was achieved. This instrument was able to provide real time results, and final water and ash concentrations correlated to standard test methods currently used for multiple materials in different industries. Test times were significantly reduced which affords manufacturers the opportunity to make changes in process quickly and maximize output.

Read Full Whitepaper:http://www.azic.com/downloads/white_papers/Investigation%20of%20Moisture%20and%20Ash%20Content%20in%20Biomass%20Material.pdf

Jerome EUEC 2010

2011-01-11T12:06:00.000-08:00

Plastec West 2011

2011-01-06T09:03:00.000-08:00

Arizona Instrument will be exhibiting at the upcoming Plastec West 2011 Tradeshow in Anaheim, CA at the beginning of February! Details are as follows, so be sure to stop by and see us.

When: Tuesday, February 8 - Thursday, February 10, 2011
Where: Anaheim Convention Center | 800 West Katella Avenue | Anaheim, CA
Booth: #4021
Link: www.plastecwest.com

As you may already know, our Computrac^® Moisture Analyzer performance, ease of use and reliability is unmatched in the industry. Our commitment to your needs remain our highest priority. The Computrac^® is a proven tool that will help you monitor quality parameters in each step of your process and research. This will minimize waste, increase productivity and in turn save a significant amount of money. For more information, please visit us online at http://www.azic.com/.

Shari Moore, Marketing Manager
Arizona Instrument LLC

Moisture Analysis in the Pharmaceutical Industry

2011-01-06T07:34:00.000-08:00

Introduction
When people aren’t feeling their best they often turn to medicine for relief from the symptoms that are associated with being ill. The public trusts that the products developed by pharmaceutical companies will not only make them feel better but will also not have harmful side effects. The pharmaceutical industry has earned this trust through constant research and evaluation, and adhering to strict safety guidelines designed to ensure they are bringing a quality product to market. Failing to follow these procedures could not only damage the relationship between manufacturers and customers, but also result in serious harm or even death.

One of the concerns that manufactures must manage is moisture content in its products. Pills are the products that are most thought of when people think about what the pharmaceutical industry provides. Pills need to remain whole from the time they are made to the time the purchaser ingests them. They also need to dissolve in water since this the most common transport system used by the body. Ensuring that pills are able to maintain their physical and chemical integrity requires a very specific amount of water, and accurately determining the amount of water requires precision instrumentation. Historically these measurements have been made using Karl Fischer Titration instruments, but this method has become increasingly more costly, wasteful and environmentally unfriendly.

Over the past 25 years considerable efforts have been made to develop a low cost, environmentally friendly, moisture specific method of material analysis. Leading these endeavors is Arizona Instrument LLC, who has successfully designed the Computrac^® Vapor Pro^® series of moisture analyzers. These instruments use RH sensor technology to accurately measure the amount of water in a material. The Vapor Pro instruments are sturdy enough for manufacturing plant floors, reduce hazardous chemical consumption making them an environmentally friendly alternative, and are capable of measuring moisture levels as low as 100ppm.

Karl Fischer Titration
First published in 1935, The Karl Fischer Titration Method has historically been the leading analytical method for detecting trace amounts of water in a variety of materials. The titration relies on the chemical reaction between I2 and H2O and has 2 methods of measuring water content.

Coulometric Titration
A Coulometric Titrator consists of an outer titration cell that contains the anode solution, a Pt detection electrode, a Pt anode and a cathode compartment that is separated by an ion permeable membrane. As water is introduced a chemical reaction is facilitated with a net oxidation reaction between SO2¬ and I2. One mole of water consumes 1 mole of I2, which generates 2 moles of electrons . The detection electrode will continue to measure a change in the electric potential until all of the I- is quenched and an excess of I2 is left in the solution. The reaction is given by the equation:
B•I2 + B•SO2 + B + H2O → 2BH+I− + BSO3
BSO3 + ROH → BH+ROSO3−
In this equation ROH is an alcohol (typically methanol) and B is a base.

Volumetric Titration
The Volumetric Titration uses the same chemical reaction as the coulometric method, however the setup is slightly different. The volumetric titrator has a cell that contains an Alcohol solution (usually methanol) and a detection electrode. An unknown amount of water is introduced to the cell and a known amount of solution containing I2, SO2 and a base are titrated into the cell until the reaction is complete.

The Karl Fischer titration method is water selective, uses small sample sizes, can analyze materials in all phases and can accurately measure water concentrations as low as 1ppm. However, there are significant drawbacks to this method as well. To facilitate this reaction requires expensive glassware that is easily broken in a manufacturing environment. Additionally, environmentally hazardous chemicals are used, which are expensive and have to be managed as hazardous waste. Also, chemicals containing mercaptans and thiol groups are known to interfere with the reaction and provide erroneous results.

Relative Humidity Sensor Technology
Relative Humidity (RH) was first used as a method of moisture determination in 1997 with the introduction of the Computrac^® 3000 Moisture Analyzer by Arizona Instrument LLC. This method uses a thermoset polymer capacitor that has a selective response when in the presence of water, the same way that many RH sensors work in traditional settings such as houses, laboratory controlled environments, and dry boxes. A material is sealed in a sample vial, and then transported into an oven with inert gas blown through it. As the material gets hot, water molecules evolve off and are carried to the sensor via the carrier gas. The sensor is exposed to the water molecules and a measurable change in the electronic activity takes place. In addition, no solvent and no material processing for lyophilized pharmaceuticals are necessary for analysis. Since 1997 Arizona Instrument LLC has further developed this method of analysis and designed an instrument designed to meet the needs of the pharmaceutical industry. The Computrac^® Vapor Pro^® Rx is capable of testing a variety of samples using different size vials with a current sensitivity able to accurately and reliably detect moisture as low as 100ppm.

Conclusion
RH Sensor detection is a viable alternative to Karl Fischer Titration and can be used to determine moisture content for various products brought to market by the pharmaceutical industry. Testing has shown the Vapor Pro^® 3500L can accurately determine water concentration with the same level of precision as the Karl Fischer titrator. It has shown significant improvement in ease of use when compared to single sample testing methods common to Karl Fischer analysis. Also, the Vapor Pro^® has addressed durability problems associated with Karl Fischer instrumentation, which allows for testing in a wider array of locations. Further, no hazardous chemical solvents are required for sample testing, which makes the Vapor Pro a green alternative to Karl Fischer titration.

James Moore, Chemist
Arizona Instrument LLC

Moisture Testing in Petroleum Products

2011-01-05T06:55:00.000-08:00

Moisture Analysis in Petroleum Products

Moisture is a constant nuisance in petroleum products. Moisture can affect the efficiency of lubricants and prematurely wear system parts that are expensive to replace and maintain. Testing for the moisture content in oils is a necessity to maintain oil systems and to detect moisture problems before they arise.

Moisture can enter an oil system a variety of ways. The simplest is in the process of adding or replacing oil and/or filters. Even if the oil system is closed, large amounts of moisture can enter through condensation in oil and filter storage. Oil can also absorb moisture from humid air depending on humidity and temperature. Any oxidation or combustion reaction can lead to water as a byproduct and can accumulate in the oil. Even the most carefully maintained system is vulnerable to moisture contamination.

All oils have a saturation point where they are able to hold a certain amount of dissolved moisture. This saturation point varies depending on polar additives present in the oil; as the water finds the polar molecules to collect around. Only after this saturation point is met is the presence of moisture in oil visible; either as an emulsion or as a layer In the oil.

Water has a variety of effects on oil systems. The most common is premature bearing wear. In large amounts moisture can lower oil viscosity, which can lead to bearing wear. It is also believed that moisture is absorbed into tiny fissures in the bearings and strips hydrogen from the metal, causing degradation. Even a small amount of moisture in a system can significantly affect bearing life.

Minute concentrations of moisture can also curtail the effect of certain additives in a system, especially oxidation inhibitors. As mentioned; water is attracted to polar molecules in a system, this can lead to decreased effectiveness of any polar additives. Some byproducts of hydrolysis reactions with additives can lead to acids, varnish, and sludge buildup which can prematurely clog filters.

Moisture in oil systems is a constant hazard that must be carefully monitored. The Computrac^® Vapor Pro^® Fx Moisture Specific Analyzer is capable of detecting moisture in most petroleum products quickly and easily and is approved for use with ASTM D7546-09 to detect moisture in lubricating oils as low as 10ppm up to 100% moisture.

Manuel Oropeza, Chemist
Arizona Instrument LLC

Moisture Analysis in the Dairy Industry

2011-01-04T07:28:00.000-08:00

Solids and ash testing is an important component to quality food manufacturing. In the dairy industry it becomes a crucial indicator of quality, ingredients, and shelf life. As efficiency becomes more important in dairy manufacturing; quick, accurate, and efficient testing methods are becoming necessary to the manufacturing process. With the Arizona Instrument LLC Computrac Moisture and Ash Analyzers, testing total solids, moisture, and ash content is an easy pain-free process.

Since 1991, pricing regulations on dairy has switched from being based on % butterfat to % total solids (TS). Since this change, most state and federal government regulations have set standards based on minimum % total solids, % butterfat, and % solids-not-fat (SNF). To conform to these regulations, gravimetric testing is becoming the quickest and easiest way to gain total solids information on the product, and has been the most reliable method to stand in federal and state court systems. Gravimetric testing is critical in manufacturing quality product and in avoiding government litigation.

Total Solids in a dairy product consists of two regulated components: butterfat and solids-not-fat. Using the accepted Babcock method for determining % butterfat with a gravimetric solids analyzer, the % total solids, % butterfat, and % solids-not-fat can all be determined. Antiquated methods using convection ovens or lactometers are no longer necessary to determine what dairy products consist of.

Solids-not-fat consists mainly of minerals, protein, and lactose. Ash testing is the testing of the non-organic material of a food; mainly minerals. Likewise, Ash testing for a dairy product is the testing for mineral content such as Calcium, Phosphorous, and Potassium. Knowing and testing for these minerals is vital to manufacturing a quality dairy product.

The percent moisture in certain dairy products indicates the shelf life and viability. Excess moisture in a product promotes microbial growth and premature spoiling. Determining the moisture content helps determine how long and how viable a dairy product can be used. For example; for skim milk powder (SMP), The U.S. dairy export council recommends discarding the material if it gains above 15% moisture.

With the Arizona Instrument LLC Computrac Moisture and Ash Analyzers, one instrument can be used to serve a variety of purposes. Rapid and efficient gravimetric testing of all types of dairy products can greatly improve throughput, insure the manufacturing of quality product, and avoid violating state and government regulations.

Manuel Oropeza, Chemist
Arizona Instrument LLC

Moisture and Ash Testing in Hay

2010-12-31T08:20:00.000-08:00

Knowing the moisture content in hay is valuable information in limiting costs. Knowing the moisture content in hay is vital in storing and feeding methods to avoid forage loss and moisture and ash content should be known to avoid cattle malnutrition.

Dry matter (DM) is the amount of feed without moisture. This is important in cattle feeding rates. Dry matter is where the nutrition for the cattle is; if unusually wet feed is fed to cattle, they must consume more of it in order to gain the same amount of dry matter as a dryer feed would contain. If the dry matter content is unknown, the risk of underfeeding or overfeeding is possible. Underfed cattle will produce less milk and overfeeding cattle leads to unnecessary feeding costs, which in large herds can be considerable.

Knowing moisture content is also valuable in the storage of forage. Storage of wet bales can lead to bacterial and fungal growth. Large bales are recommended to be under 16% moisture, while smaller bales can have up to 20%. Any bales with more than 20% moisture can be prone to heat damage, and bales with over 25% moisture will likely rot. Storing bales without first knowing their moisture content can be a costly gamble.

Knowing mineral content in forage is also valuable to insuring that cattle have a balanced diet. An easy way to know the mineral content is to ash the feed material; all organic compounds are burned away leaving the minerals in the feed. The remaining ash is then calculated as a percentage of dry matter to determine the amount of mineral content in a feed.

Arizona Instrument LLC Computrac^® Moisture and Ash Analyzers make obtaining moisture and ash content quick and easy. Our MAX^® 4000XL moisture analyzer determines moisture content and our MAX^® 5000XL determines both moisture and ash content. With these instruments moisture and ash content can all be tested on site swiftly and efficiently.

Manuel Oropeza, Chemist
Arizona Instrument LLC
800.528.7411 | Website

Moisture and Ash Testing in Food Processing

2010-12-30T07:33:00.000-08:00

Moisture content has been established as an important indicator of shelf life for foods. Moisture can determine the aesthetics of food, giving estimates to product shelf life regardless of sample properties in a wet or dry state. Ash content is also essential to a food’s nutrition and longevity. With Arizona Instrument LLC (AZI) Computrac^® Moisture/Solids/Ash Analyzers, testing moisture and ash content is an easy pain-free process and can speed up production time and improve food quality control.

Moisture content is one of the most important characteristics in consumer sensory perception of food. Change in moisture content will dramatically affect flavor and texture as well as physical and chemical properties, as water gives chemicals a helpful medium to catalyze chemical reactions (water activity). The presence of free moisture is directly related to water activity; the higher the water activity, the more susceptible the food will be to interactions with microbes and its environment. Computrac^® series of moisture analyzers are the fastest, most accurate tools for determining free moisture content.

Determining changes in moisture over time is essential in choosing the best packaging materials to maintain food longevity. The amount and type of packaging, the volume of food stored and the environment all can change the water content over time. Knowing and plotting water content is a useful way of locating the right packaging for each environment which improves shelf life.

The analysis of ash content in foods is simply the burning away of organic content, leaving inorganic minerals. This helps determine the amount and type of minerals in food; important because the amount of minerals can determine physiochemical properties of foods, as well as retard the growth of microorganisms. Therefore, mineral content is a vital component in a food’s nutrition, quality, and, like water, microbial viability. Arizona Instrument has instruments that reach 600°C, capable of ashing food samples without destroying the minerals within it, and is an integral part of the food manufacturing process.

Foods have high and low moisture content limits beyond which the product becomes objectionable from either a sensory or safety perspective. In dry brittle foods with low moisture content, such as dry cereal and dehydrated foods, upper moisture content limit is important; the food can absorb water and become moist, undesirable and prone to microbe contamination. In wet foods, such as muffins and sauces, the lower moisture content limit is monitored to make sure the food doesn’t become stale or distasteful. Finding and testing for these limits is essential to produce accurate manufacturer specifications for moisture. Guaranteeing food falls within these limits ensures the production of a quality food product that will not expire prematurely. Each food also has its own longevity and packaging concerns as well as mineral content considerations.

From cookies and mints, to flour and animal treats, we have tested all types of food for our customers. Using Computrac^® analyzers to test for moisture, solids and ash content in place of comparable AOAC standards or vacuum oven test, manufacturers can significantly reduce test times without sacrificing accuracy; which again, speeds up production time and improves food quality control.

Manuel Oropeza, Chemist
Arizona Instrument LLC

New In-Line System at Axium Foods

2010-12-29T13:02:00.000-08:00

New In-Line System at Axium Foods includes the MAX 4000XL Moisture/Solids Analyzer from Arizona Instrument

Q. The new system [at Axium Foods] can measure several parameters of the food process. Which particular ones do you measure? How do the results correlate with the previous process measurement systems?

The two parameters we measure are moisture and temperature. Since the ε scan was installed on a new production line, there was nothing to compare it with directly. We calibrated the system using offline moisture and temperature analyses, using a Forced Air Oven and an Arizona MAX 4000XL moisture balance.

Full Article: http://www.fei-online.com/index.php?id=2898

Karen Schoon

Quality Assurance Manager, Axium Foods
239 Oak Grove Ave | South Beloit, IL 61080 | USA
Tel + 1 815 389 3053 | Fax + 1 815 389 9842
kschoon@axiumfoods.com

Moisture Analysis Made Simple

2010-12-29T12:13:00.000-08:00

COMPUTRAC
Moisture Analysis in the Baking Industry

Introduction
Providing a quality product is a complex problem that bakers must solve to be successful in a competitive market. Concerns about the taste, texture, appearance and freshness are just a few of the riddles, and at the heart of these is moisture. Too much water in a baker’s product can lead to problems with shaping, a soggy texture, and mold and spore formations in packaging. Too little water creates stale, brittle and hard goods.

Along with the obstacles associated with water content, determining the moisture level has proved to be just as complicated. Deciding when to test, what parts of the product to test and where to test are all difficult choices that need to be made, and changes in these decisions will affect the results obtained from testing. For instance, does the baker test the loaf of bread immediately after it is removed from the oven, before water migration is complete and estimate the moisture of the product; or does the baker wait until the migration has occurred and then test for moisture? Additionally, the historical methods used for moisture determination are lengthy processes that hinder the flow of information needed to decide if a product is ready for release or if there is a problem in the baking process.

While the decision when to test is still left up to the baker, advances in moisture analyses have dramatically reshaped the antiquated methods of the past. Arizona Instrument LLC has led the way on this front, developing rapid loss on drying instrumentation that provides reliable results in minutes instead of hours. These versatile instruments improve process efficiency which will allow for an increase in production, as well as provide vital information which can be used to make adjustments and optimize the quality of the baked goods that are produced.

Traditional Methods
The application of traditional test methods of moisture determination is considered to be elementary by bakers and scientists alike. Often the procedure involves taking a small random sample from a product, measuring its mass, placing it in an oven for a specified time at a specified temperature, removing it and letting it cool to ambient temperature, then reweighing the sample. The % moisture is determined using the following equation:

%M=((initial mass-final mass))/(initial mass)*100

Where the initial mass is determined prior to oven treatment and the final mass is determined after the sample has been in the oven and cooled to room temperature. Ease of use is certainly helps make this a desirable method, but it also has drawbacks. These methods frequently take hours to conduct, which can slow production down. Also, there are no in-situ¬ measurements being taken to optimize the procedure. These types of measurements would help reduce cost and improve energy management and efficiency.

Rapid Loss on Drying
Rapid loss on drying instruments operate using the same principle as traditional oven methods, but are able to address the drawbacks associated to them without changing the ease of use. Users of these instruments place a prescribed amount of material onto a pan that is sitting on a balance. Once the correct amount of material is on the pan the instrument heats up to a specified temperature and the water is evolved off of the sample. Multiple criteria can be used to end the test, but frequently tests are ended when the change in mass is determined to be negligible. These tests provide the user with real time measurements and often tests take a few minutes instead of hours.

Conclusion
Rapid loss on drying instrumentation has proven to provide a more desirable method of moisture measurement when compared to traditional loss on drying techniques. It addresses the drawbacks associated with conventional loss on drying and while maintaining the ease of use application. The reduction in test times increases manufacturing efficiency while simultaneously reducing energy costs. Additionally, this instrumentation is able to provide real time moisture measurements to help users optimize moisture measurement methods.

James Moore, Chemist
Arizona Instrument LLC

IBIE_AZ_Instruments.mov

2010-10-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

Arizona Instrument will be in New Orleans next month!

2010-10-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

Shari Moore and Allison Shea will be attending Pharmaceutical Science World Congress (AAPS) in New Orleans November 15-17 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Booth #1113.

Stop by to find out how you can GO GREEN with the Karl Fischer Alternative Vapor Pro Rx.

Find out more at http://www.azic.com/industry_pharmaceuticals.aspx.

Apple iPod Drawing from AZI

2010-07-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

Arizona Instrument LLC would like to remind our customers that if you have purchased an instrument with us, EVER: Computrac or Jerome line, you are eligible for an Apple iPod drawing on September 30, 2010.

Entering to win is simple:

Click on this link: http://bit.ly/cG6P8p and fill out our customer service survey! That's all!

Contact customer service at service@azic.com or call 800.528.7411 with any questions.

Thank you for your participation!

Shari Moore
Marketing Manager
Arizona Instrument LLC

AZI is back from IFT!

2010-07-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

AZI returned home from IFT 2010 in Chicago this week! The show was amazing this year, and we couldn't be happier about the turnout!

The show was memorable from start to finish, as we discovered Transformers III was being filmed across the street from our hotel for the duration of our stay. Kris joked that he originally thought the city was such a dangerous place until he realized the sirens and odd sounds were coming from the set across the street.

IFT 2010 had an incredible turnout, along with success of businesses around us. Many vendors brought so much food, that we were constantly eating throughout the day! It was hard not to!

We were able to catch up with existing customers, and in some cases meet them for the first time after doing business together for so long; we met some new customers as well. All were great and I think everyone had a good time at the show!

We are already looking forward to IFT 2011!

Shari Moore, Marketing Manager

800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com
see us on twitter: AZInstrument

AZI will be at IFT!

2010-07-16T09:17:00.001-07:00

Arizona Instrument LLC will be at booth 4174 at the IFT tradeshow in Chicago, IL, July 18-20, 2010. Stop by and see Kris Vancers and Shari Moore for a quick demo and discussion of how we can help you improve your food process.

Our instruments utilize rapid loss-on-drying technology to determine moisture/solids/ash content in a given sample. We can give you a reading in MINUTES!

Find out more at http://www.azic.com/industry_foods.aspx.

We look forward to meeting you!

Kris Vancers, Account Development Specialist

Shari Moore, Marketing Manager

Test for moisture without opening the bottle!

2010-07-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

Arizona Instrument LLC has an instrument capable of reading moisture down to 10ppm up to 100% moisture in lyophilized samples. Our instrumentation is able to do this without ever opening the bottle!

Find out more at: http://www.azic.com/newsletters/2010_july_computrac_vapor_pro_rx.pdf

800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

Shelf Life

2010-07-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

Arizona Instrument LLC is exhibiting at the upcoming tradeshow in Chicago, IL: IFT 2010! We will be demonstrating how we can increase shelf life of food manufacturer's products and how to do so in a quick and easy way with Loss-On-Drying and Green Alternative to Karl Fischer Technologies!

No glassware or harmful chemicals!

Stop by booth #4174 July 18-20, 2010!

Shari Moore and Kris Vancers
Arizona Instrument LLC
800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

AZInstrument has a Twitter Account

2010-07-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

I signed up my company, Arizona Instrument LLC, to twitter yesterday, and I am eager to check things out! I have begun following tweets from various companies in the industries we have worked with for years, and am excited to post news about my company as well! I think this will prove to be a great tool for us to not only provide better service to our customers, but for me to learn more about what goes on around the world with those industries on a daily basis.

Shari Moore, Marketing Manager
Arizona Instrument LLC

Moisture analysis in lyophilized samples has never been easier!

2010-07-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

With the growing concern over the handling of hazardous, costly reagents, and a greater focus on efficiency since the recession; the Vapor Pro® Rx offers a safer, easier, and less expensive consumable cost alternative to the Karl Fischer Titrator.

Lyophilized sample testing often requires the use of a carefully measured amount of methanol for dissolving the lyophilized sample in. A syringe is used to inject the methanol and later remove the sample solution from the vial, be weighed, and then injected into a solution of reagents for moisture determination. This method is time consuming, hazardous, and is susceptible to human error when calculating the moisture content.

The Vapor Pro® Rx is as simple as 1, 2, 3!

1) Select the name of the sample you want to test from a list of programmed parameters. These parameters are custom developed for you for FREE by our labs!

2) Place the lyophilized bottle in the Vapor Pro® Rx's adjustable transport mechanism (no solvents, no measuring, no hassle!)

3) Press the "start" button on the instrument and walk away!

It's that easy!

Find out more!

800.528.7411 602.470.1414
http://www.azic.com/ sales@azic.com

Moisture and Ash Testing in Food Processing

2010-06-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

Moisture content has been established as an important indicator of shelf life for foods. Moisture can determine the aesthetics of food, giving estimates to product shelf life regardless of sample properties in a wet or dry state. Ash content is also essential to a food's nutrition and longevity. With Arizona Instrument LLC (AZI) Computrac Moisture/Solids/Ash Analyzers, testing moisture and ash content is an easy pain-free process and can speed up production time and improve food quality control.

Moisture content is one of the most important characteristics in consumer sensory perception of food. Change in moisture content will dramatically affect flavor and texture as well as physical and chemical properties, as water gives chemicals a helpful medium to catalyze chemical reactions (water activity). The prescense of free moisture is directly related to water activity; the higher the water activity, the more susceptible the food will be to interactions with mocrobes and its environment. Computrac series of moisture analyzers are the fastest, most accurate tools for determining free moisture content.

Determining changes in moisture over time is essential in choosing the best packaging materials to maintain food longevity. The amount and type of packaging, the volume of food stored and the environment all can change the water content over time. Knowing and plotting water content is a useful way of locating the right packaging for each environment which improves shelf life.

The analysis of ash content in foods is simply the burning away of organic content, leaving inorganic minerals. This helps determine the amount and type of minerals in food; important because the amount of minerals can determine physiochemical properties of foods, as well as retard the growth of microorganisms. Therefore, mineral content is a vital component in a food's nutrition, quality, and, like water, microbial viability. Arizona Instrument has instruments that reach 600°C, capable of ashing food samples without destroying the minerals within it, and is an integral part of the food manufacturing process.

Foods have high and low moisture content limits beyond which the product becomes objectionable from either a sensory or safety perspective. In dry brittle foods with low moisture content, such as dry cereal and dehydrated foods, upper moisture content limit is important; the food can absorb water and become moist, undesirable and prone to microbe contamination. In wet foods, such as muffins and sauces, the lower moisture content limit is monitored to make sure the food doesn't become stale or distasteful. Finding and testing for these limits is essential to product that will not expire prematurely. Each food also has its own longevity and packaging concerns as well as mineral content considerations.

From cookies and mints, to flour and animal treats, we have tested all types of food for our customers. Using Computrac analyzers to test for moisture, solids and ash content in place of comparable AOAC standards or vacuum oven tests, manufacturers can significantly reduce test times without sacrificing accuracy; which again, speeds up productuion time and improves food quality control.

800.528.7411 602.470.1414
www.azic.com sales@azic.com

Why AZI?

2010-05-06T15:22:00.000-07:00

Arizona Instrument LLC is the exclusive manufacturer of the Computrac line of Moisture/Solids/Ash Analyzers and Jerome line of Toxic Gas Analyzers.

But why AZI?

AZI (Arizona Instrument LLC) is dedicated to a quality product, and delivering it operating under the highest standard of customer service. Our customers are the most important thing to this company. We ensure that our products provide the best possible solution for customer needs.

Further, we manufacture our products from 1 single location in Arizona. We have distributors available to handle international sales, but our products are Made in the USA.

Our products are so reliable, that we offer free sample testing and free trials just to prove it to you prior to purchase. Our full service lab is standing by, ready to assist in any sample questions you might have.

Our superior products and level of customer service are unmatched across the industries we service: including, but not limited to, foods, pharmaceuticals, petroleum, chemicals, gypsum, paints and coatings, etc.

Call today to find out more about how Arizona Instrument can help your company!

Rick Ervin, Director of Sales
Arizona Instrument LLC, Chandler, Arizona
800.528.7411 602.470.1414
http://www.azic.com/ sales@azic.com

Arizona Instrument LLC NEW Instrument

2010-04-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

Arizona Instrument LLC proudly introduces the NEW Computrac MAX 4000XL Moisture/Solids Analyzer! Performance enhancements include 25% faster throughput, uniform heating and a color LCD display. The MAX 4000XL proves to be the BEST moisture analyzer yet!

Features also include:

•Pass/Fail Criteria

•USB
•ASTM D7232-06 and D6980-04

•ISO 9001:2008

Mention this ad at sales@azic.com or call 800.528.7411 to enter a drawing for the Apple iPod touch! Drawing held at AZI on July 4, 2010.

Made in the USA

Test for Moisture in Recycled Materials

2009-07-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

Call Scott Gifford today with your questions!
800.528.7411 x1642 • 602.281.1642
sgifford@azic.com • www.azic.com

BIO RESIN APPROVED Moisture Analysis

2009-07-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

No Hazardous Chemicals or Reagents
Simple to Operate
ASTM Approved: D7191-05

Computrac® Vapor Pro® Moisture Specific Analyzer

Scott Gifford, National Account Representative - Plastics Division
800.528.7411 x1642 • 602.281.1642
sgifford@azic.com • www.azic.com

2009-07-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

Do you want to connect your analytical equipment up to a computer but do not have the bench space or workstations available?

Arizona Instrument has solved your need for space. The Computrac® MAX® 4000XL & MAX 5000XL moisture, solids, and ash analyzers has a web server feature. This feature allows you to connect the instrument to your intranet and allows access to the instrument from any computer on your network. The instruments also have a USB port so you can download data onto a thumb drive and take it with you. If you would like virtually unlimited memory, but do not have unlimited space, check out the MAX® 4000XL or MAX® 5000XL!

Let me know how I can assist you further. I look forward to your call!

Kris Vancers
Account Development Specialist
800.528.7411 x1655 • 602.281.1655
kvancers@azic.com • www.azic.com

Send in your sample!

2009-06-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

We have a full service lab at Arizona Instrument LLC dedicated to testing for moisture in your samples!

ALL INDUSTRIES

Call us today to find out more!

800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414 • www.azic.com • sales@azic.com

Moisture?

2009-05-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

Test without opening the bottle.

Arizona Instrument LLC

Exclusive Manufacturer of Computrac® Moisture Analyzers and Jerome® Mercury and Hydrogen Sulfide Analyzers

800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414 • www.azic.com • sales@azic.com

Black Liquor

2009-05-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

Here at AZI there is always a never-ending flow of new and different samples that present different obstacles for us lab folks. Recently, I had the perverse pleasure of testing moisture in a by-product of the paper industry: black liquor.

The name “black liquor” is deceiving in hiding its toxicity… and its overall smelly, sticky, and disagreeable disposition. Its physical state ranges from solid to liquid depending on the temperature. At warm temperatures it has the consistency of melting tar; or thick syrup that you would never in a million years want to put on your pancakes. I lack the words that describe how it smells (especially after testing), but I can assure you it is one of the most offensive smells you run into while working in a moisture analysis lab.

Black liquor is composed of water, cellulose, lignin, sodium sulfide and sodium hydroxide and does range from dark brown to black.

To test this material, we follow a TAPPI method, which consists of weighing the sample beforehand, heating it in an oven at 105°C for six hours, and then reweighing after to determine the amount of moisture driven off. We then test the sample on one of our Computrac line of instruments to insure it conforms to our reference testing.

This sample posed several problems;

1. Black Liquor is highly caustic so it needs to be disposed of as hazardous waste and needs to be handled accordingly
2. Condensed black liquor is a solid at room temperature so it needs to be heated before handling 3. It tends to trap moisture during testing
4. The sodium hydroxide in the sample reacts with aluminum which is the material our oven and instrument pans are made of. This reaction lowers the percent moisture by a couple of percentage points.

It’s unusual that one sample would present so many problems, but fortunately we were able to find solutions to all of them.

Our lab is well equipped to handle a hazardous waste like black liquor. All instrument testing was done in a hood and all testing materials were bagged, labeled, and disposed of in our hazardous waste container. All the necessary personal protective equipment needed was available; numerous gloves and bench covers were used as the liquor tends to get everywhere pretty quickly!

The black liquor had to be maintained in a water bath to soften it up enough to use a syringe. The syringes themselves had to be stored in a furnace on low heat so the liquor wouldn’t solidify in the syringe between tests.

To combat moisture trapping; the sample was diluted with de-ionized water prior to oven testing. The amount of dilution was weighted beforehand and factored into our moisture calculations. Silica sand was heated to 850°C to remove contaminants and added to the sample bottles. The sand acts as a filter to keep the black liquor from condensing and trapping moisture.

We have glass weighting bottles with stoppers for corrosive samples such as this for oven testing. For our instrument testing we have a different solution: fiber glass filters. Two pieces of fiber glass filters were used to keep the liquor from reacting with the aluminum pan used in our Computrac Max instruments. Not only does this separate the sample from the pan but it keeps the test times under 15 minutes: it serves the same role as the sand in our oven testing.

Using these methods described above we were able to get quick and effective results; which was great considering the challenges presented with this sample. Testing black liquor was a first for me, but it’s probably not the last difficult sample I’m going to run into… there is always that new different material you never thought about testing right around the corner!

Manuel Oropeza
Lab Technician
800.528.7411
www.azic.com

Testing Liquids with the Computrac Vapor Pro, GREEN Karl Fischer Alternative

2009-05-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

TESTING LIQUIDS WITH THE VAPOR PRO

The Vapor Pro® has a programmable bottle purge function to evacuate any ambient air trapped in the vial by running dry air or nitrogen through the vial before the test begins. However, some liquids are very susceptible to giving up moisture at very low temperatures. So how can you test a liquid accurately if it is losing moisture before you even start a test? The Vapor Pro® pre-bottle purge method is the answer. By pre-purging the vial you are able to inject the liquid sample into a dry environment without worry of loosing moisture to the atmosphere or the Vapor Pro® standard bottle purge. In addition to using this method you can program the instrument with a zero bottle purge time and start the test right away. Follow the below procedure to pre-purge your vials and see if this will help in your accuracy and repeatability.

Vapor Pro Pre Bottle Purge Procedure

•Place empty vial, with septa & cap securely fastened, into Vapor Pro® carriage
•Choose any program (ideally the program you will subsequently use to test a sample)
•Press start and enter in 0.00 weight
•Test should take a couple minutes. Once test is done, be careful…the vial will be hot.
•You can purge multiple bottles for later use. The bottle purge is good for about 24hrs.
•Do not remove cap and septa from bottle

Once the vial has cooled down and you have a sample ready to test, tare the entire vial on a balance. Once the tare is complete, use a syringe with needle and pierce the septa close to the edge of the cap (don’t pierce the middle of the septa) and place about 10 drops of sample into the vial. Place the vial back on the balance to obtain the start weight. Choose correct program, place the vial into the Vapor Pro® carriage, press start, and follow the on screen instructions.

If you use this procedure to test your sample be sure you are using a zero purge.

Please call us for more information!

Kris Vancers
Account Development Specialist
800.528.7411 x1655 • 602.281.1655
kvancers@azic.com • www.azic.com

Computrac® MAX® 5000XL

2009-04-28T08:35:00.001-07:00

Weight Test

To ensure proper calibration and become familiar with the instrument, run a weight test. This test simulates moisture loss by the removal of one of two known weights. Both a three and a five gram weight are required.

• Ensure that a clean, dry, empty sample pan is placed on the pan support.
• From the Main Test Screen, press [MEMORY].
• If the highlight bar is not already there, highlight (Factory) WEIGHT and press [START].
• One of several prompts may appear depending on the last measured weight. Follow the instructions given until the "OPEN LID" "ADD SAMPLE..." prompt appears on the screen. Open the lid and carefully place both the 5 gram and the 3 gram weights near the center of the sample pan.
• Close the lid.
• After the Main Test Screen is displayed, gently open the lid, carefully remove the 3 gram weight, and gently close the lid.
• Wait for the end of the test.
• If this is the first test of the day, discard the results of this test for stability reasons and perform the test again.
• Record the final test result. The value should fall between 37.4800% and 37.5200%.
• If the results are out of tolerance, repeat the balance calibration and weight test. If the result is still out of tolerance, call AZI customer service at 800.528.7411 or 602.470.1414 for assistance.

sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

Moisture Content Trends

2009-04-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

There are three types of "trend" sampling to consider in analyzing fuel moisture with the Computrac® Fuel Moisture Analyzer. The LONG-TERM trend involved primarily the sampling of green or living vegetation. Generally, moisture content changes relatively slowly in these materials, and weekly sampling at a pre-established time and location may be sufficient to plot these trends.

Dead fuels and some living fuels may exhibit diurnal or MEDIUM-TERM trends in moisture content. If you are interested in these changes, sample frequently to reflect these variations. Three times during a 24-hour period should be sufficient. Be sure to carefully stratify your sample.

Fine dead fuels (one hour time lag) represent the SHORT-TERM trend and the moisture content of these materials fluctuate continuously throughout the day and night. It is difficult to develop a trend for these fuels, but by sampling at the same location, and at the same time each day, a general trend may be established. This trend can be affected by minor changes in the weather and it may be useful to maintain a set of on-site notes on rainfall, cloud cover, relative humidity, etc., to accompany each day's fuel moisture sampling. This information can help explain changes in both short and long-term trends in fuel moisture.

Please call us today for more information!
800.290.1414 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

AZI at a Glance

2009-04-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

Arizona Instrument is an ISO 9001:2000 registered company that designs, manufactures, and markets Computrac® precision moisture analysis instruments and portable and fixed Jerome® gas analyzers. We provide complete pre- and post-sale customer service including application development, training, and instrument calibration and repair.

Computrac® Vapor Pro® moisture analyzers detect moisture levels as low as 10 ppm, or 10 mg, in samples as small as 10 mg utilizing moisture-specific sensors to eliminate volatile interferences. Computrac® MAX® moisture analyzers measure moisture content as low as 0.005 percent in as few as 3 minutes. These instruments are durable, easy to use, and equally suitable for the production floor and the laboratory.

Utilizing patented gold sensor technology, the Jerome® 631-X measures hydrogen sulfide concentrations of 3ppb to 50ppm, while the Jerome® 431-X mercury vapor analyzer detects concentrations from 0.003 to 0.999mg/m3, all in just 13 seconds. The Jerome® 860 hydrogen sulfide monitor provides automatic, unattended, long-term monitoring of hydrogen sulfide gases in contained or hard to reach areas. The compact, battery powered 860 is water resistant and intrinsically safe. Accessories include a field test kit for easy verification of instrument calibration, a data logger for data acquisition and instrument programming, and software for connecting the analyzers to computers.

Please contact us with questions at:

800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

Moisture Analysis for Paper Production

2009-04-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

When manufacturing paper and paper products moisture content is a crucial component of the final product. Moisture helps bind the fibers together; too little moisture will result in poor structural integrity, but if you have too much moisture, your paper will become wavy and be prone to discoloration. The production process and the environment can cause the level of moisture to change from day to day. Because of this volatility and the importance of moisture in the fianl product, testing should be conducted to ensure quality.

Arizona Instrument LLC is the exclusive manufacturer of the Computrac® Moisture Analysis Instrumentation, the leader in moisture/solids analysis. Computrac® Moisture Analyzers are at the cutting edge for testing moisture within a sample. Computrac® Moisture Analyzers process samples in minutes, while other methods take hours. This speed is teamed up with a durable exterior, to make a Computrac® Moisture Analyzer perfect for the production floor. With a Computrac® Moisture Analyzer testing samples throughout the manufacturing process, you can minimize the need for quality control, saving time and money.

Another feature that makes Computrac® Moisture Analysis Instrumentation particularly useful for the paper industry is ash analysis. The MAX® 5000 can heat a sample up to 600°C and ignite it. The left over ash is used to measure the amount of fiber content in the material. The sealed testing component and heavy insulation protects the user from the heat. Computrac® Moisture Analyzers are designed to serve the user; they are easy to use and have many convenience features. For example, the MAX® 5000 will store data from the last 1000 tests and graph from the alst 100 tests.

Computrac® Moisture Analysis instrumentation; manufactured by Arizona Instrument LLC, is easy to use and programmable, which means you can spend less time testing and more time producing. Arizona Instrument LLC has multiple products with differing features. The Computrac® MAX® 2000XL, MAX® 4000XL, MAX® 5000 and 5000XL are available to meet your moisture/solids analysis needs.

Call us today for more information on how to start a FREE trial!
800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

Getting Started Sampling Fuel Moisture

2009-04-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

For purposes of establishing trends in moisture content, the principles applied in sampling and monitoring fuel moisture are similar to those used in fire weather observations. We take fire weather observations at stations selected as being typical in weather characteristics of the geographical area of interest. Because of the geographical variability of local weather, observations at the station at any given time are not likely to correspond precisely to weather conditions at other points within the area. Therefore, a weather observation at the station is actually only a sample of the weather for the larger geographical area.

To begin observations of fuel moisture, select an area of a few acres that is representative of a more extensive geographical area. Collect samples of fuel from this small area for moisture determination. This fuel moisture sampling area serves the same function in fuel moisture monitoring as the weather station in the monitoring of fire weather. Like the fire weather sample, the fuel moisture sample will only approximate the fuel moisture conditions over the larger geographical area because of the spatial variations in factors influencing fuel moisture.

There are 4 major factors affecting the comparison of fire weather observations and indices. These include:

1. Standardization of weather instruments
2. The exposure of these instruments to variable weather conditions
3. Observation procedures
4. Specific time that observations are made

Time and space comparability of fuel moisture observation are acheived by:

1. Standardization of fuel sample collection
2. Moisture determination procedures
3. Specification of sampling conditions

Please call us today to find moisture analysis instrumentation to help you test during this process.

800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

Moisture Analysis - Gypsum Coal Fired Power Plants

2009-04-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

The Computrac® MAX® 5000XL provides:

• Elimination of unnecessary cost associated with Titration and TGA Methods
• Accurate test results for Gypsum within MINUTES
• Ease of use with lowest cost per test

FREE MOISTURE %, DIHYDRATE % or HEMIHYDRATE % results ALL IN ONE TEST!

The Computrac® MAX® 5000XL advances the state of the art in rapid moisture and ash analysis with a new temperature controlled balance and high temperature lift compensation algorithm that provides users with more stablea nd accurate measurements. The new instrument also features a temperature ramp control feature that allows the MAX® 5000XL to be used for qualitative analyses that were previously only possible using a more expensive thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). READ MORE

Call Stephanie Blaha today with any questions!

Stephanie Blaha
Senior Account Representative
Arizona Instrument LLC
800.290.1414 x1726 • 602.281.1726
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

Don't Guess - MEASURE!

2009-04-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

Manage your moisture and solids to save time and money.

Levels of moisture and solids in paints and inks greatly influence the quality of the final product. Too much moisture in paint will damage its adhesive quality, while too little can lead to a liquid that is too thick to apply effectively. Similarly, solids directly affect the appearance and viscosity. Production methods and the environment can cause these properties to change on a daily basis. In order to maintain a reliable product, testing should be conducted regularly.

Arizona Instrument is the manufacturer and supplier of the Computrac MAX® 2000, MAX® 4000XL, MAX® 5000, and the MAX® 5000XL Analyzers. This instrumentation is the leader in all industries for moisture and solids analysis, but Arizona Instrument has created features specifically for the paint and ink industry including syringe tests to eliminate solvent evaporation, foil tests to analyze paint solids, and nitrogen purge to eliminate flashing commonly caused by volatiles in samples.

Computrac® Moisture/Solids Analyzers are faster, more accurate, and safer than the alternatives. Computrac® Moisture Analyzers process a sample in minutes instead of the hours traditional methods require, so you can test more samples without slowing down production. The Computrac® design completely encloses the sample for minimal environmental interference with the sample, reducing error in the test. Sturdy materials and heavy insulation protect the user and the environment from the heat of the test. These instruments are designed for ease of use, so you don’t need to be a chemist to run a test. Also, Computrac® Moisture Analyzers are the ASTM for rapid determination of the nonvolatile content of coatings by loss in weight. This method has been through rigorous testing and has been adopted as the standard because of its reliability and speed.

Computrac® instrumentation, manufactured by Arizona Instrument, is easy to use and programmable, which means you can spend less time testing and more time producing. Arizona Instrument has multiple products to meet the specific needs of the customer. The Computrac® MAX® 2000XL, MAX® 4000, MAX® 5000 and 5000XL are available to meet your moisture/solids analysis needs.

Please contact us with any questions at:
800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

History of the Vapor Pro®

2009-04-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

The environmentally green Computrac® Vapor Pro® moisture analyzer was built at our facility in Tempe, AZ. Originally named the Computrac® CT-3000 in 1997, it was developed to answer the need and demand of our customers to provide an alternative to antiquated methods that were not eco friendly.

Our customers wanted something simple to setup, easy to use, reliable, and of utmost importance comparable to Karl Fischer titration with respect to precision and repeatability. It can even be used under ASTM D7191-05 for Determination of Moisture in Plastics by Relative Humidity Sensor.Its theory of operation is simple. You weigh a sample, tell the instrument the weight of that sample and the instrument does the rest. The sample is heated; water and volatiles evolve from the sample. As the moist air from the sample makes its way through the instrument manifold, a polymer capacitance sensor (fancy name for a RH humidity sensor) "counts" the water molecules by monitoring the change in resistance of the sensor as the moist air passes over it. Non-water molecules are ignored. The mass of water is compared to the original weight of the sample and a percent moisture or ppm of moisture is calculated. (ex. 100 micrograms H2O/1 gram sample x 100 = 0.0100% H2O)With the increasing success of the instrument, the most current version of the instrument was released in 2003.

The Vapor Pro® Linear (CT-3100-L). Linearization of the sensor assembly which represents the heart of the instrument provides precision and repeatability that often surpasses that of the Karl Fischer. Another advantage of the Vapor Pro® is the lack of interferences. The Vapor Pro® uses zero chemicals! Not even Pentaoxide, as used by some of our competitors that claim to use no chemicals. No other water specific analyzer we are aware of can truthfully claim, zero chemicals.As the manufacturer of the Vapor Pro® we have continued to revise and improve the instrument by listening to the Plastics Industry (our customers).

If you find yourself wondering how this instrument can help in your drying and processing procedures or you just want to see what the buzz is about, please contact us for a FREE TRIAL instrument!

Call me today with questions!

Scott Gifford
National Account Representative
800.290.1414 x1642 • 602.281.1642
sgifford@azic.com • www.azic.com

Application Data - Paints and Coatings

2009-04-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Application Data on the Computrac® MAX® 5000 Find application data for Paints and Coatings on our website. Please call us today if you would like to see application data for your sample on this, or another moisture analyzer from Arizona Instrument LLC.

800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

The Ultimate Tool for Chemical Production

2009-04-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

“A Computrac® is to the chemicals industry, like a hammer is to carpentry.”

Computrac® instrumentation, manufactured by AZI, can be used to analyze the amount of moisture in a substance, evaluate the concentration of a complex chemical sample, and decipher that chemical’s composition.

In the production of chemicals, the composition of the final solution must be accounted for. Computrac® Instrumentation, with their graphic displays, are essential for mapping the loss of moisture at changing temperatures to ascertain the levels of different chemicals within a product. With extra abilities like the high start feature, the Computrac® moisture analyzer can test the effectiveness of past methods for moisture analysis. Often AZI’s instrumentation has proven the unreliability of oven tests previously being used in companies. After these manufacturers were made aware of the flaws in their testing, they were able to vastly improve their company’s methods and product. Read more

Please call us today to set up a FREE trial!

800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

Account for Moisture or be Accountable

2009-04-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

From raw materials to the finished product, Computrac® Moisture Analyzers are the instruments to guarantee quality and speed in production.

In the pharmaceutical industry the highest standard of quality is required by the government and customers. When there is a small mistake in the production of pharmaceuticals it turns into a big problem for that company. The strict nature of this industry demands constant testing of products to meet expectations. Moisture must be managed and the ingredients in any drug must be accounted for. Computrac® moisture analyzers, manufactured by Arizona Instrument, are the best tools to meet these needs.
Computrac® instrumentation is used throughout the pharmaceutical industry, because of its speed, reliability, and ease of use. When it comes to moisture analysis, Computrac® analyzers run tests in minutes instead of the hours that traditional methods require. This speed makes testing during manufacturing possible without slowing down the process. The strength of a Computrac® is evident when it is used daily on production floors and its reliability doesn’t waiver. All of our instruments are designed to be operated by anyone; no chemistry degree is required. LCD screens and built in statistical analysis only make testing easier and faster. Read more

Please call us today with questions!

800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

Excessive Flaming - LOI

2009-04-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

One issue commonly encountered when testing materials for ash/loss on ignition (L.O.I) is excessive flaming. Violent, uncontrolled combustion in a crucible doesn’t normally precede high precision test results. As a workaround, it’s common when testing flammable materials for ash by conventional methods such as a muffle furnace that a stepwise approach to heating be applied. First the sample is brought to a temperature where it will smolder, but not flame. The temperature is increased slowly over time until the desired test temperature is reached. While this approach works, it significantly increases test times. It also requires that the operator stop what they’re doing at regular intervals to step up the temperature on the muffle furnace. It’s an effective, if not altogether operator friendly process.

Modern rapid ash/L.O.I. analyzers like the MAX® 5000XL can automate this process and make it essentially painless. Perhaps more importantly, they can offer a granularity of control that is not possible under the classic operator intensive method. The only investment is a bit of up front programming on the part of the operator. Consider this extreme process:

Heat sample from 60°C to 250°C
Hold at 250°C for exactly 8 minutes
Heat from 250°C to 400°C at a controlled rate of 5°C per minute
Hold at 400°C for exactly 15 minutes
Heat from 400°C to 600°C
Hold until rate of weight loss in the sample is less than 0.0500%/minute

A process like that would be impossible for a human operator to execute once, let alone replicate for multiple trials. However once the programming is done, not only can the MAX® 5000XL execute these steps, it can export all the data to an Excel file so that the operator can examine any portion of the process in detail.

Questions?
800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

International Sales

2009-04-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

Arizona Instrument has a network of sales representatives around the world ready to assist you with your moisture analysis needs. If you are interested in seeing if your product will run well on the Computrac®, contact one of our local sales representatives outside of the U.S. They can provide you with a free demonstration at your facility or arrange to send some of your samples to our laboratory for testing. Within 1-2 weeks, you will have results showing the performance of your product on the Computrac® versus a standard reference method such as Karl Fischer titration or the standard oven. Also, many of our representatives are factory trained and certified to service and support your instrument to ensure it is operating within specifications.

Visit our website to find a representative near you: http://www.azic.com/cs_international.aspx?blog=moisture

Jeff Ho

International Sales Manager
800.528.7411 x1654 • 602.281.1654
jho@azic.com • www.azic.com

Moisture Analysis in Paints and Coatings

2009-04-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

The Computrac® MAX® 5000XL Moisture Analyzer can precisely analyze your material in a linked series of tests without disturbing the sample’s integrity, eliminating much of the error associated with traditional test methods and allowing even the most inexperienced operators to produce consistent, dependable results.

The MAX® 5000XL also has three features specifically designed for the paints and coatings industry: syringe tests to eliminate solvent evaporation, foil tests to analyze paint solids, and nitrogen purge to eliminate flashing commonly caused by volatiles in samples. Because the analyzer is chemical-free and glass-free, you can now test for inorganic content at any location in your facility without worrying about contamination.

Contact Stephanie Blaha today for more information!

800.290.1414 x1726 • 602.281.1726
sblaha@azic.com • www.azic.com

Control Your Quality by Managing Moisture

2009-04-08T09:57:00.001-07:00

Successfully casting plastic requires the right amount of moisture for all grades of plastic being manufactured. Excess moisture in and around the plastic pellets can weaken the structural integrity of the plastic, cause clear plastics to become cloudy, and hurt the finish of the product. On the other hand too little moisture can cause the product to be brittle and prone to cracking. Quality material cannot be produced without the right amount of moisture. Moisture isn't just a headache for quality control at a company; it also raises production costs and can slow down the process. Dryers are commonly employed at plastic manufacturers to decrease the moisture in the pellets, but without a way to test a sample from the dryer, casting becomes a costly process of trial and error.

Arizona Instrument LLC is the manufacturer of Computrac® Moisture Analyzers, the answer to your plastic problems. These instruments can determine the amount of moisture in your plastics before they are cast. A Computrac® will test your sample in minutes instead of the hours that the traditional methods require and give you the information you need to make a decision. This speed and accuracy makes a Computrac® perfect for the plastic resin industry. Read more

Please let us know if you have any questions!

Scott Gifford, National Account Representative
800.290.1414 x1642 • 602.281.1642
sgifford@azic.com • www.azic.com

Arizona Instrument Economic Recovery Offer

2009-04-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

Over $200 Value! In support of the current Economic Recovery, AZI is offering special discounts with the order of a Computrac® Rapid Fuel Moisture Analyzer in 2009 for the Forestry industry.

Until September 30, 2009, when you order a Computrac® Analyzer, in addition to the GSA discount pricing, we will include a 25% discount off any one accessory or operating supply and FREE shipping, an additional $100 value.

After hundreds of installations, the Computrac® Analyzers have been well received by Forestry Fire Professionals for fuel moisture data in minutes rather than hours. Read more

Please call Doug Elliott today to find out more!
Doug Elliott
National Account Representative
800.290.1414 x1725 • 602.281.1725
delliott@azic.com • sales@azic.com
www.azic.com

2009-04-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

Eastern Analytical Symposium

In November 2008, James Moore gave a talk at the annual Eastern Analytical Symposium on a GREEN approach to moisture analysis. The powerpoint is attached through the link above.

Please call us with any questions!
800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

24 Hour Customer Support!!

2009-04-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Our regular business hours are Monday through Friday 7a.m. to 5p.m. Mountain Standard Time. However, we realize that emergencies don’t pay attention to the clock. If you experience a serious situation after hours that needs immediate attention, call us toll free at
1-800-528-7411 or at 1-602-470-1414.

Leave your message when prompted, then press the pound (#) key, followed by the number 3. One of our trained field service engineers will be paged and will return your call within 4 hours. Non-emergency calls left after hours will be returned the next business day.

http://www.azic.com/customer_service.aspx

A Video vs. a Snap-Shot

2009-04-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

Many standard reference tests rely on heating a sample at a temperature like 105C for a given period of time, from an hour to over night then cooling the sample, maybe in a desiccator and weighing. One source of error that people do not realize is that the sample might regain weight due to re-hydration. This means that the reference number is different from the moisture level the process will see.

The Computrac® MAX® family of analyzers has the ability to heat the sample to a given temperature and then monitor the change in weight as the sample cools. The benefit of using a Computrac® loss on heating analyzer is that you can get the moisture number at process temperature conditions. This means that the number you report is the number the process will see.

-Doug Elliott, National Account Representative
800.290.1414 x1725 • 602.281.1725
delliott@azic.com • www.azic.com

Congratulations Susan Machkovech!

2009-04-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

In an effort to reach out to our customers and gather information on how you come in contact with us, we requested you fill out a survey and in turn entered those people in a drawing for a $25 AMERICAN EXPRESS Gift Card.

The winner is Susan Machkovech! Congratulations, Susan! We appreciate your participation!

800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

Shelf Life: Control it or Spoil

2009-03-31T08:46:00.000-07:00

Arizona Instrument LLC provides products that empower businesses with the ability to manage moisture in their food and increase the shelf life of their products.

Moldy biscuits, stale cookies and spoiled milk powder are the bane of the food industry. They are much more than just unappetizing; they are a representation of lost inventory, discarded product and wasted money. Retailers demand products with shelf lives that give them the flexibility to succeed and if your product doesn't make the cut, there is always another waiting to take your place. There is no doubt that shelf life is crucial in the food industry. Read more

Please call us with any questions!

800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

Strive for Perfection

2009-03-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Everyone has to be more in tune to their own production practices if they want to make it in today’s economy. The companies that continue to strive for perfection and offer top of the line quality items while providing the best service money can buy are the companies that will come through this sluggish economy even better than before.

How will companies provide this type of product and service if production and resources are cut? They might just want to look at a faster and more accurate way to test and to determine the solids, moisture or ash content of their products.

In this new millennium, the analytical world of testing is driven by new technologies. Moisture / solids / ash analyzers have come a long way since the 1980s and your production process and laboratory might just need to look at analyzers that will demonstrate no significant differences between vacuum ovens, air ovens, Karl Fischer Titration, muffle furnaces or other methods that are time consuming and labor intensive.

When you are looking for a new method with a moisture analyzer ask the vendor to provide an analysis of data that reveals exactly how accurate and reproducible the equipment is compared to your standard method and products similar to yours. If the consistency of the data displays high repeatability, quick test times and correlates to the standard method, then you owe it to yourself to take a closer look at that equipment.

Our analyzers will provide the best results for you in the least amount of time.

The MAX® 5000XL is the top of the line analyzer for moisture / solids/ purity of gypsum/ ash. All of our data illustrates the test method and the correlation between ASTM, VOC, AOAC, AACC, TAPPI and other standard specifications.

The greatest advantage of using our analyzers is to save you time and resources.

In this day and age, it is time to take human error out of results while reducing man-hours and providing the best quality product to your customer.

The new moisture analyzers make this possible.

-Stephanie Blaha, Senior Account Representative
Computrac® Division
800.290.1414 x1726 • 602.281.1726
sblaha@azic.com • www.azic.com

Solvent-free Moisture Determination of Oils and Lubricants

2009-03-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

Controlling and monitoring the amount of water in oils and lubricants is a major concern for refineries and manufacturers to ensure a quality product is being delivered to consumers; and to commercial and personal consumers to maintain optimum output.

Using RH sensor technology Arizona Instrument LLC has developed the Computrac® Vapor Pro® Fx analyzer that is capable of determining the water content of oils and lubricants. It is sturdy enough to be in the production area, requires no reagents for measurement, and requires little technical skill to operate efficiently. After testing both refined and crude oils and lubricants the Vapor Pro® Fx was found to be capable of reliably and accurately measuring moisture levels as low as 10ppm and as high as 50% water by volume. It is currently being validated as a Karl Fisher alternative by the American Society for Testing and Materials.

-James Moore, Chemist

Company Volleyball Tournament - March 2009

2009-03-26T08:48:00.001-07:00

As some of you may already know, Arizona Instrument gets together once a month for a company activity. This month we chose to play volleyball. Each team had to dress alike with whatever theme they came up with.

The winner was Chemical Warfare!

Of course, your sales representatives participated and had a great time too! Some pictures are posted below from our event!

Scott Gifford, Plastics Representative
800.290.1414 x1642 • sgifford@azic.com

Kris Vancers, Pharmaceutical and Foods Representative
800.290.1414 x1655 • kvancers@azic.com

Stephanie Blaha, Chemicals, Foods, Pharmaceuticals, Pulp and Paper Representative
800.290.1414 • sblaha@azic.com

Doug Elliott, Chemicals and Forestry Representative
800.290.1414 x1725 • delliott@azic.com

Rick Ervin, Director of Sales
800.290.1414 • sales@azic.com

Interphex - New York - March 2009

2009-03-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

It was wonderful meeting/seeing those of you that did end up attending the show this year! We enjoyed running tests for you at the show so you could see our instruments in action.

For those of you that did not attend, we ran capillary tests on our Karl Fischer Alternative instrument, the Vapor Pro®. Our capillaries come in various sizes, but the tests we ran were on 1000µg of water.

Our Vapor Pro® Moisture Specific Analyzer is a rugged, easy to use, GREEN alternative to Karl Fischer Titration. It has very low operating cost as the only disposable item on it is the septa at the top of the vial. What we did was filled the capillary which we knew was 1000µg of water (as long as we filled the capillary correctly...this can prove to be tricky and we have contests with each other on who can get closer to 1000), placed it in the vial, sealed the top, placed it on the instrument, pressed start and waited for the result. Within minutes we had our answer! Scott and I are very good at this game, and consistently came within 50µg of spec.

What happens, is the septa in the top of the vial gets pierced with a two way needle upon entry into the instrument. Dry air or nitrogen gas is pushed through one way while ambient air is pushed through the other. The vial is heated and moisture evaporates off over a relative humidity sensor. After a few minutes you have a moisture specific reading.

This instrument can read down to 10ppm of moisture up to 100%. We have 3 different Vapor Pro® Moisture Analyzers - one standard, one specifically for lyophilized materials in the pharmaceutical industry, and one for moisture in oils. We have been in business over 25 years, and are very familiar with most samples across all industries.

We also featured our Computrac® MAX® 4000XL at this show, which is our newly released LOD (Loss on Drying) Moisture/Solids Analyzer. It has 25% faster throughput through use of a cool down fan, and has a color LCD display, and internet capabilites.

-Shari Houtler, Marketing Manager

If you would like to learn more, please give us a call!
800.290.1414 • 602.470.1414
sales@azic.com • www.azic.com

Puerto Rico Training

2009-03-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendar for our MAX® 4000XL training in
Puerto Rico

May 14th, 2009

Please sign up via our website at the following link:
http://www.azic.com/puerto_rico_training.aspx

Please direct any questions to Fred Curren at:
800.290.1414 x1678 • 602.281.1678
fcurren@azic.com • www.azic.com

Pittcon and Interphex

2009-03-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

After attending these two tradeshows this month, Pittcon in Chicago and Interphex in New York, we noticed a continued strong interest in our Computrac® MAX® 4000XL Moisture/Solids Analyzer and our Karl Fischer Alternative Computrac® Vapor Pro® Series.

Our Computrac® MAX® 4000XL Moisture/Solids Analyzer is an improvement from our MAX® 2000XL with 25% faster throughput through use of a cool-down fan, internet capabilities, and a color screen, among other great features.

Our Computrac® Vapor Pro® is a green alternative to Karl Fischer titration. It has lower operating costs, the instrument is more user friendly and technology transfer packages are available to make the transition as easy as possible for you.

Call us today to find out more at:
800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414
www.azic.com • sales@azic.com

Upcoming Tradeshows in March!

2009-03-04T07:32:00.000-08:00

Arizona Instrument will be attending 2 tradeshows this March!
Be sure to stop by and see us if you plan on attending!

FREE PASSES ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR INTERPHEX!

Jeff Ho, Ben Brown and Shari Houtler will be at:

Pittcon
March 9-12, 2009: Chicago, IL
McCormick Place
Booth #4575
jho@azic.com • 800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Scott Percy and Shari Houtler will be at:

Interphex
March 17-29, 2009: New York, NY
Javits Center
Booth #3218
800.290.1414 • 602.470.1414

$25 Gift Card

2009-02-27T09:38:00.001-08:00

We are trying to reach out to our customers and gather information on how you come in contact with us. We are looking for ways to improve our availability to you, and provide solutions in the smoothest possible way for you.

In return for providing answers to these few short questions and your contact information, we will enter you in a drawing for a $25 AMERICAN EXPRESS Gift Card.

Click here to fill out the survey. We will announce the winner on March 31st, 2009. Thank you!

Customer Q & A

2009-02-25T12:52:00.000-08:00

I noticed you mentioned something on your blog that said that if a customer has a consistant result and if they have an moisture result a little lower or a little higher it is okay. Is there a maximum number they should not go over or under?

There really isn't a specific number to go higher or lower than for this, but considering that most mills want to stay below 1% ash and the difference between Premium and Super Premium is only 0.5% I would not recommend making adjustments for anything more than 0.1 - 0.2%. This approach works if you have a directional bias in your process that is consistent. You would ultimately use a correction factor to adjust for the bias.
-Garrett Rowe, Lab Manager

Contact Stephanie Blaha with further questions:
800.528.7411 x1726 • 602.281.1726
sblaha@azic.com • www.azic.com

Moisture Specific Karl Fischer Alternative

2009-02-23T13:01:00.001-08:00

Plastics
Computrac® Vapor Pro®
Computrac® MAX® 4000XL

Contact Scott Gifford today to trial a Vapor Pro® or MAX® 4000XL. We offer free method development with the purchase of any instrument, and will personally assist you with your parameter sets, test results and anything else you need to keep manufacturing up and running.

800.528.7411 x1642 • 602.281.1642 • sgifford@azic.com
http://www.azic.com/inst_vaporpro.aspx
http://www.azic.com/inst_max4000.aspx

Moisture Specific Karl Fischer Alternative

2009-02-23T10:12:00.000-08:00

Computrac® Vapor Pro® Rx
Moisture Analyzer

No toxic reagents or specialized glassware

Maintains sample integrity
Accepts multiple vial sizes

Designed to test lyophilized materials!

Call Rick Ervin for more information!
800.528.7411 • 602.470.1414 • sales@azic.com
http://www.azic.com/inst_vaporprorx.aspx

Free trials
Free method development over the lifetime of the instrument
24 hour customer support

Training Schedules are now online!

2009-02-18T11:26:00.000-08:00

Find upcoming training on the customer service
page of our website:

http://www.azic.com/customer_service.aspx

Meet the Lab Team!

2009-02-18T07:42:00.001-08:00

Pictured from left to right:
Manuel Oropeza, Kathy Greilich, James Moore, Garrett Rowe

Don't take chances when it comes to lab safety!

From the first moment I stepped into my first chemistry laboratory setting as a sophomore in high school, lab safety dogma has been drilled into me daily. Safety glasses and a lab coat were mandatory apparel. Wear it or go home, there were no compromises.

Wearing a seatbelt can seem like an annoyance if you haven't been in an accident in fifteen years, just like wearing personal protective equipment can feel burdensome to the professional lab technician. An "I know what I'm doing" attitude can lull even the most intelligent chemist into complacence. One minor transgression without consequence gives way to more and more until all those safety rules that were once ingrained are nothing more than a soft whisper in the back of your mind. And just like that with not wearing a seatbelt, a split second is all it takes to be reminded of the error of your ways.

The result of that lapse could be as small as a minor burn, or as major as a loss of sight, or worse. Managers owe it to those in their employ to make safety a top priority, and technicians who are in the lab every day owe it to themselves and their loved ones to take the extra time and effort to ensure that when their workday has ended, they can hop in their vehicles and head home intact.

And since the hazards of the world don't end at 5PM, don't forget to wear that seatbelt.

-Garrett Rowe, Lab Manager

Computrac® Vapor Pro® Rx

2009-02-18T07:28:00.000-08:00

The Computrac® Vapor Pro® Rx moisture analyzer accurately measures moisture levels in lyophilized materials without contamination from atmospheric humidity. The Rx maintains sealed vial integrity and features a sealed flow-path that purges the system with dry nitrogen between tests.

In addition, the moisture-specific sensor detects moisture levels as low as 100 ppm, displaying results in just a few minutes. Simple and easy to operate, with no toxic reagents or specialized glassware, the Rx is suitable for both production and laboratory environments.

What is the difference between: as received, moisture free and moisture & ash?

2009-02-04T09:51:00.000-08:00

The Computrac® MAX® 5000 can analyze ash content on an "as received" or a dry basis, depending on the customer's need. Analysis on a dry basis says more about the intrinsic properties of the wood pellet. Analysis on an "as received basis" speaks more to the current state of the wood pellet.

For example, say you have three piles of identical pellets. You allow one to sit out in the rain, allow one to sit out in the hot Arizona sun, and keep the third in a climate controlled storage space. The "as received" ash values will be different for all three, since the moisture in the pellets figuresinto that result. However the dry basis ash content should still be the same for all three samples since but for the differences in moisture, we still have identical pellets.

Questions?
Contact Stephanie Blaha at 800.290.1414 x1726, 602.281.1726 or sblaha@azic.com

Moisture Analyzers from Arizona Instrument

2009-02-02T08:33:00.000-08:00

Upcoming Tradeshows:

Plastec/Powder Bulk West, BOOTH #4021
February 10-12, 2009
http://www.devicelink.com/expo/west09/

Coating West, BOOTH #304
March 2-3, 2009
http://www.thecoatingshow.com/

Pittcon, BOOTH #4575
March 9-12, 2009
http://www.pittcon.org/

Computrac® Moisture Analyzers from Arizona Instrument are classic examples of value products. With their rugged package, really easy operation, reliable data, and real people supporting you, the Computrac® Moisture Analyzer you choose will bring value to your product and your process.
Whether it’s the MAX® family of rapid loss on heating analyzers or the Vapor Pro® Moisture specific, Karl Fischer replacement technology, the Computrac® family of analyzers provide analytical quality data in a rugged process worthy package. It is common for Computrac® analyzers to be in service for 10, 15 and even 20 years.
Really easy use through instrument directed instructional prompts allows the Computrac® analyzers to be positioned on the busy process floor with the assurance of consistent, reproducible operation.
The data from the Computrac® analyzers not only matches classic reference values but also provide the highest level of repeatability and precision available. This means that you can rely on the data for making critical process monitoring decisions, over and over and over again.
The ultimate value in the Computrac® analyzers is the ‘real people’ behind the product. From the assembly floor’s initial quality through sales and the application lab’s fulfillment of your analytical and performance needs to customer support and instrument service dedication to your successful operation, every Computrac® analyzer is a source of value in a world of mediocrity.
If you require an analyzer this year for moisture, solids, LOI or ash determination or if you want to avoid the wet chemical reagents of Karl Fischer determination, put one of the high value Computrac® analyzers on the top of your list. If you value your money and want to both save it and grow it, a Computrac® analyzer from Arizona Instrument is the best tool to accomplish the job.

See more of our instruments at: http://www.azic.com/instruments.aspx

Plastec/Powder Bulk West

2009-01-29T12:17:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to come see Scott Gifford at Plastec/Powder Bulk West!

February 10-12, 2009
Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim, CA
Booth #4021

http://www.vero-software.com/events-detail.php?id=35

New Flyers on AZI's Website!

2009-01-28T14:55:00.000-08:00

Visit us online to view some new flyers we have posted:

Ammonia Filter
Chlorine Filter
Pellet Fuel Flyer

http://www.azic.com/downloads.aspx

NEW Moisture Analyzer from Arizona Instrument

2009-01-28T14:51:00.000-08:00

Arizona Instrument today announced the release of the next generation of bench top MOISTURE AND ASH ANALYZERS, the Computrac MAX® 5000XL. The new MAX® 5000XL features the same intuitive user interface and rugged design as its predecessor the MAX® 5000. Improvements to the design and high temperature performance of the balance system of the MAX® 5000XL now make it possible to accurately analyze materials with ash concentrations of as little as 0.5%. The calibrated, instrument specific, high temperature lift compensation algorithm replaces the static lift compensation factor of previous models, resulting in more precise readings during ash / L.O.I. analyses.

Find out more at: http://www.azic.com/inst_max5000xl.aspx

NEW Moisture Analyzer from Arizona Instrument

2009-01-28T14:43:00.000-08:00

We saved you time and money before...
Follow us to the next level in MOISTURE ANALYSIS!

NEW INSTRUMENT FOR 2009!
High Performance Rapid LOD

The Computrac® MAX® 4000 provides the latest in rapid Loss on Drying technology available in the market today. With improved performance and quicker throughput, along with many new features and operator controls, the MAX® 4000 provides excellent repeatability and correlation to existing methods. Along with the superior performance, AZI provides full service method development, in house or on site, compliant to CGMP protocols.

•25% Improvement in Throughput
•Fan Assisted Cool-Down
•FREE Parameter Development
•USB and Ethernet Ports
•Faster and More Even Heating
•ASTM Approved: D6980-04 and D7232-06

Find out more at: http://www.azic.com/inst_max4000.aspx

Rick's Corner

2008-11-20T12:46:00.000-08:00

Having been employed by AZI for more than 15 years, I began my career here as a set-up technician in our production area where I learned the value of producing high quality instrumentation. I had a root belief that quality is always better than quantity. This belief has been the cornerstone of my behavior inside and outside of the company. From my continued learning and investment in our products and customers, I found that my knowledge of the instruments was valuable to our customers and began assisting the sales folks. It was through this exposure to our customers that helped me realize that the quality of our instruments and service was a critical component to our customers. The professionals that utilize our equipment
are either industry leaders in their fields or professionals that demanded the very best. I migrated into sales after a few years to assist our customers and provide them with the best equipment on the market. It was easy for me to make the claim that we are the best. Not only do I believe this, but AZI is focused on keeping this true. I found great rewards in promoting great product to great customers. Selling for over 10 years has allowed me the opportunity to hear from many of you that word of mouth and referrals is the most effective way to market a great product and company. As a result of our commitment to our customers, AZI chooses to provide higher level service and relationships with our customers.

-Rick Ervin, Director of Sales
rervin@azic.com
www.azic.com

Intermountain Power Service Corporation saved over $335,000.00!

2008-09-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

Intermountain Power Service Corporation, which operates and maintains a coal fired power facility located 80 miles south of Salt Lake City, UT in Delta, UT purchased a Computrac® MAX® 2000XL in 2006 to assist in the control of their Wet Limestone Flue Gas Desulfurization Scrubbers. In order to minimize sulfur emissions, limestone slurry is used to bind the sulfur dioxide from the flue gas into Calcium Sulfate (synthetic gypsum), that can be easily landfilled. The addition of an antifoam agent is required to reduce the foaming caused by biological matter carried into the scrubber modules by the limestone slurry and makeup water. The addition of the silicon based antifoaming agent in excessive amounts inhibits the oxidation reaction, resulting in a byproduct of Calcium Sulfite. The Calcium Sulfite has a finer crystalline structure which scales piping and equipment, and is extremely difficult to dewater and landfill. To offset this, IPSC added polymer to aid in settling and removal of the scrubber byproducts. The use of the MAX® 2000XL has allowed IPSC to control the usage of defoamer, by providing a means to quantify how much is too much. This in turn has decreased the amount of polymer being used. The statistics of actual dollars being saved is as follows:

In 2005, IPSC used $329,000.00 in defoamer, whereas in mid-2006, when the company began testing the MAX® 2000XL, the reduction in chemical usage dropped to $252,000.00. In 2007, after a full year of using the MAX® 2000XL, the chemical usage dropped to $88,000.00.®In addition to the MAX® 2000XL saving a significant amount of money on the front end, the
company was also able to utilize the MAX® 2000XL data to control waste solids and reduce polymer usage. The polymer expenses were $110,000 in 2005, $127,000.00 in 2006, and $15,000.00 in 2007.

Ask Stephanie a question-Stephanie Blaha, National Account Representative

sblaha@azic.com

www.azic.com

New instruments

2008-07-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

Arizona Instrument recently announced the release of the next generation of bench top moisture and ash analyzers, the Computrac® MAX® 5000XL. The MAX® 5000XL advances the state of the art in rapid moisture and ash analysis with a new temperature controlled balance and high temperature lift compensation algorithm that provides users with more stable and accurate
measurements. The new instrument also features a temperature ramp control feature that allows the MAX® 5000XL to be used for qualitative analyses that were previously only possible using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). It looks identical to the regular MAX®5000, but has some really great new features that will really add to the ease of use.

marketing@azic.com

http://www.azic.com/

Taking a step outside our world, into yours

2008-07-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

We all know by now that pretty much every industry, including the foods industry, is making an effort to go green. It seems like every day companies are finding different ways to do so, ranging from very creative ad campaigns to simple day-to-day processes. One interesting new innovation I have recently come across is the redesigned gallon milk jugs that Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, and Costco now have on their shelves. According to the New York Times article, the new jugs are cheaper to ship and better for the environment, the milk is fresher upon arrival to the stores, and it costs less. Like any change that comes about in a product everyone is familiar with, there have been mixed reactions.

I believe that more and more people are getting on board with the going green thing, even if it is just the smallest change, such as remembering to recycle or turning offthe lights or television when leaving a room. Once people start becoming more open-minded about accepting these changes, which we will probably be seeing more of in the near future, we will realize that it really can improve the quality of our life as a whole if we all just do our little part. Do you have any interesting stories or pictures about your experiences with foods that you would like to share?
Email us at marketing@azic.com and we will print your story in a future newsletter!

-Joya Nielsen, Marketing Coordinator
www.azic.com

Spotless Labs...Not just for T.V. anymore!

2008-02-01T14:11:00.000-08:00

I was watching an episode of C.S.I. the other day and like any good scientist, I was pointing out to my wife things that obviously were not true of labs in real life. "There is no way you could get any work done in a lab with that type of lighting", I would say. "How on earth could they tell that that paint chip was from a 1982 Oldsmobile? I have never been to any lab that does that much testing and is that clean!" The truth is, although an actual working lab will never look anything like the labs on television crime dramas, that does not mean that we should not strive for excellent housekeeping habits in the real world. A clean lab is a safer more productive lab. If everything has a well-defined place, it is easy to spot when something is not in its place. Random bottles of unknown chemicals lying about are incidents waiting to happen. A commitment to good housekeeping practices does not take too much time either; five minutes at the end of each workday does wonders for the overall polish of the lab. In the end that time investment pays plenty of dividends in the productivity and attitude of the technicians that work there.

-Garrett Rowe, Lab Manager
grow@azic.com
http://www.azic.com/