How Can Optical Properties of Liquids be Measured?

When it comes to measuring colours of liquids, there are so many things to consider. The type of liquid, it properties to allow the light to pass, viscosity, etc. There are different types of devices available that not only quantifies the colours but also other optical properties. Transparency, opacity, glossiness can be considerable parameters in different industries.

When it comes to measuring colours of liquids, there are so many things to consider. The type of liquid, it properties to allow the light to pass, viscosity, etc. There are different types of devices available that not only quantifies the colours but also other optical properties. Transparency, opacity, glossiness can be considerable parameters in different industries.

There are different types of liquids used at commercial and domestic level. Be it paints used in commercial and domestic applications, beverages, pharmaceutical syrups, automotive oils and lubricants, etc., their colour is an indication of quality maintenance and identification. Take the example of petrol, if there is any difference in the colour appearance according to standards, adulteration or improper refining can be ruled out. Similarly, every liquid product has predefined standards for colours and other optical properties. This is why liquid colour measurement is an important process in any QC lab or R&D lab. Usually, devices like spectrophotometer and colourimeters are used for this purpose. Different companies are manufacturing portable and benchtop models as per the increasing and varying demands of industries.

The liquid can be transparent, opaque or translucent and thus require a different type of instrument to measure all these properties. However, some instruments are available in the market which are capable of implementing more than one technique of measurement. Also, the devices should be capable of comparing the master with the sample by quantifying the observations. Master and sample comparison is very important as it allows to understand the deviation in the manufacturing process with minimum efforts.

The general principle of measuring light is to detect the incident light that is being reflected by the sample. The reflected light is detected by the group of sensors. These sensors convert the light energy into electric energy which is further processed by the microprocessor. The microprocessor quantifies the electrical signal and values are displayed on the screen.

Opaque Liquids
Liquids like paints have high solid content and therefore instead of passing the light, it reflects. They usually measure under 45/0 degrees reflectance. This is the most preferred alignment and replicated the effect the way human eyes perceive.

Transparent liquids
Spirits or paint thinner is commonest forms of transparent liquids. Such liquids have no or very less solid component and allow the light to pass completely without any distortion. The measurement instrument that works on the principle of transmission is used popularly.

Translucent liquids
Pharmaceutical syrups, honey and beverages are some common examples of translucent liquids and have a medium level of solid content. Such items allow the partial transmission of light. The reflectance measurement is done at 45/0 degrees. Measuring the colour of translucent liquids is bit intricate as they require a constant background that should not interfere with the liquid colour measurement process.

Scrutinize the Vibrancy & Hue of Liquids

Liquids are manufactured in various industries such as in pharmaceuticals, beverages, juices and other food products, detergents, chemicals and many more. The major attribute of the liquids that ensures the quality of the liquids is the color. These are many types if liquids that are manufactured in different industries such as opaque, translucent and transparent. The color of liquids also helps to measure the shelf life of the products. If the color quality of the product is not appropriate, it will distract the attention of the customers towards other vibrant product and the demand of the produce will be declined in the market. Hence, it is mandatory for the manufacturers of the products to test the color quality of these products appropriately. The colors of these products can be detected easily using different color measuring devices. 

The manufacturers of liquid products understand the influence of color on psychological behavior of human beings. The manufacturers of liquid products take this positively to enhance the quality of the products so that their business revenues will not get affected due to the bad color quality of the food products. 
 

Color Measurement Devices for Liquids

There are numerous color measurement instruments that are available in the market to ensure the color quality of the liquid products. Testronix, one of the leading manufacturer and supplier of liquid color measurement devices offers a wide range of user-friendly and portable color measurement devices that are used in all production verticals where liquids are manufactured.

These color measurement devices are equipped with the silicon photodiode type sensor that easily and quickly senses the actual color of the liquids and displays the same on the digital display in numerical form and also depicts that where the color lies on the color graph according to L*a*b*c*h* color space which ensures the precision of the color test results. The major advantage of these instruments is that it can be attached easily to the computer and helps to saves the test result for future reference.

TP 110 – For Liquid Color Measurement

The TP 110 is a precision color device is a widely used to test the colors of liquid products that are manufactured in different production verticals right from chemicals to detergents, beverages to other liquid food products and pharmaceuticals products. The instrument measures the color of the liquid products on the basis of various color spaces such as CIEL*a*b*, CIEXYZ, CIEL*a*b*C*h, and many more. To read in detail on TP 110, click here.

Measure the Color of Ice Cream with Portable Spectrophotometer

Ice cream is a popular dessert, made using cream and milk, which is enjoyed by many people all across the globe. Ice cream comes in a wide variety of combinations and flavors using cocoa for chocolate flavor, fruits for freshness and other attractive colorants. The colors are added in the ice-creams to add vibrancy and taste to the food. The attractive colors of ice creams grab the attention of the customers and influence their preference. Moreover, the color of the ice creams and other desserts helps to influence the perception of the consumers regarding the flavor. Therefore, it is important to monitor and measure the color of the ice-creams. 

Adopting the techniques of color measurement throughout the production process helps the manufacturers to enhance the level of color consistency and to optimize the quality of the products. The color of the ingredients directly influences the appearance of the product and also the flavor and taste of ice-creams. To measure the color of the product, manufacturers can find out the L*a*b* values to minimize the color variance of ice-creams. Color and physical properties of the ice-cream changes consistently at the time of melting. Therefore, it is highly recommended to examine the color of ice-creams in a liquid state to obtain a consistent and accurate evaluation.

Testronix offers an extensive range of high-quality Portable Spectrophotometers that can easily perform transmittance and reflectance measurements. These spectrophotometers are capable enough in measuring every type of sample whether it is a solid form, liquid form or powder form, and also the mixture of a liquid form of ice-cream and solid form of ingredients. The range of instruments is also provided with additional accessories such as Powder test Box, Software for controlling results and operations and many more. Testronix offers high-quality of spectrophotometer namely TP 800 Spectrophotometer. The instrument works on the advanced principle of LED spectroscopy. The portable device helps to separate the luminance as per the wavelength interval that is observed by a group of sensors and helps to perform the precise analysis.

Technical Specifications of TP800 Spectrophotometer

• Provides 45 ring-shaped illuminations
• Integrated sphere size is Φ58 mm.
• Combined LED light source is provided with the device.
• Fitted with a silicon photodiode array type sensor.
• Wavelength range of instrument is 400 – 700 nanometers.
• Reflectance range of the device is 0-200%.
• Aperture Size is 8mm
• Observe the specimen from two orientations: 2 Degree & 10 Degree.
• Display Spectral Value in graphical format, Color Difference Value (also in Graphical representation), Color measurement value,   Color Simulation, PASS/FAIL Result, Color Offset, language setting, reverse prompt,  tolerance prompts,   restore factory setting, time setting, and other functions.
• Provided with USB/RS-232 data interface.

For more information, visit: www.testronixinstruments.com/