We have learned about various forms of silicone oil and their usage. We have also looked into detail about the application of silicone oil in various industries. The application of silicone oil has become vast in terms of its usage. It has become an important component of many manufacturing units. You can read about the usage of silicone oil in our previous articles.
We are going to talk about one such industry where silicone oil is the vital component to be used widely. We all need hygienic life and water is the first priority of all living beings. The water gets purified before it reaches us. There is a meter named ‘Turbidity meter’. The role of silicone oil comes here when we talk about the use of a ‘Turbidity meter’.
In this article, we will study insight into the usage of silicone oil in turbidity meters.
Before we understand the usage, we need to understand what a turbidity meter is and how it is used.
What is the turbidity of water?
Turbidity is measured to identify the clarity of the water. Healthy drinking water must be of less turbidity than the water of creeks. It develops due to cloudiness or less transparency of water. We can say that it measures the quality of water. It is measured in units (NTU). Clean water is tested and if the quantum of turbidity is found in water, then it needs to be measured. As we all know. Water is transparent in nature. The foreign particles present in water can be detected by transmitting a ray of light on a sample. It identifies the number of unwanted particles in the water.
Turbidity meter and the usage
It checks the accurate turbidity measurements on water samples. It applies the technique of nephelometry by scattering light at 90 degrees. The optical fiber sensor technology is applied to test water turbidity and concentration of particles. This meter is consisting of a highly sensitive detector to interpret the signals of scattered light.
Use of Silicone Oil in Turbidity Meter
The turbidity reading needs accurate measurement. A minor scratch on the glass vial may lead to inaccurate results. The surface needs to be smooth and free from any particles. Silicone oil drops can fulfill the purpose. The smooth vial placed in a turbidity meter deviates the scattered light and gives the expected results. Sometimes the scratch present on the vial may not be visible to us but even a micro scratch can make a great difference to the expected results. If the vial is polished well with the help of silicone oil, it gives satisfactory results.
Some silicon oils can be used for multiple uses like the preparation of turbidity sample cells. The sample covered by silicone oil gives low turbidity readings. The silicone oil set is provided by the companies along with a Turbidity meter.
Importance and Application of Silicone Oil in the use of Turbidity Meter
The glass cuvette is the crucial part of the turbidity meter. The sample kept for testing needs to be placed in such a way that light reaches it by passing through the cuvette glass. There is a point, where the light gets a way to transmit and gets scattered. The task should be performed with minute perfection.
Fingerprints, scratches, dust particles can mislead the inspection of samples. It needs to be spotless and smooth. Two to three drops of silicone oil can make the task easy. It clears, even the smallest scratch and makes the glass smooth.
The silicone oil is applied with the help of a lint-free cloth on a dry cuvette. It is applied on the outer surface of the cuvette to hide minor imperfections or scratches. Silicone oil should be applied to have a perfect reading especially in the case of a sample having low turbidity.
The application of Silicone Oil should be done in such a way that excess oil should not stay on the surface. It should be wiped until the cuvette becomes dry. The oil should not be visible on the surface area of the cuvette. The scratch-free surface assures the correct reading. It can transmit the light through samples to have an accurate measurement of turbidity.
In this article, we learned about the requirement and usage of Silicone Oil in a turbidity meter. Silicone oil is used to make the surface clear so that light can be reflected to check the turbidity of the sample. Silicone oil is an effective component. Many industries use silicone oil whether it is for lubrication or clearance of microparticles. Two to three drops of silicone oil can give better results in the use of a turbidity meter. We hope that viewers have received an exploration regarding the usage of silicone oil. Kindly drop your valuable feedback in a suggestion box. We would like to have your feedback and responses. Keep on reading and stay tuned with us.