Whats the definition of water content? Camlab

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Water is essential to life; it plays a critical role in the physical and chemical functions of our bodies, the food we eat, and the materials that surround us. In many industries and industrial processes it is important to measure the water content of substances in order to assess quality.

This allows us to adjust manufacturing processes and ensure that products and foodstuffs meet the current regulations and guidelines. The amount of available water can dictate the shelf life and stability of many products; for example, the presence of water in food greatly impacts its susceptibility to chemical, enzymatic, and microbial activity.

Water content is also important for the processing and handling of materials such as :

• Cosmetics
• Pharmaceuticals
• Food
• Personal care products
• Pulp and paper products
• Speciality chemicals

Measuring the amount of water contained in certain materials can be very difficult due to the complexity of the water molecule and its strong intermolecular bonding capabilities. In most cases, measurement of water is better defined as the measurement of moisture content, defined as the mass of water per unit mass of dry material. In addition these tests are often performed outside the laboratory often in Incoming product quality control, or in a food production environment

The Ohaus MB Series of moisture analysers (or moisture balances) measure moisture using the thermogravimetric method. Thermogravimetric moisture analysis defines moisture as the loss of mass observed when the sample is heated and is based, in theory, on the vaporisation of water during the drying process; this measurement does not distinguish weight loss of water from loss of volatile components or sample decomposition. For this reason, moisture content as measured by thermogravimetric techniques includes all substances which vaporise when heating a sample and are measured as weight loss during the heating process. Therefore, we use the term “moisture content” rather than “water content” when using a thermogravimetric device.

Camlab can offer the full range of Ohaus Balances including the MB moisture balance range, contact us below for a quote or for the Ohaus guide to moisture content analysis