Magnetic Suspension Balance

Our magnetic suspension balances make it possible to weigh samples contactlessly under nearly all measuring conditions. Instead of hanging directly at the balance (conventional gravimetric apparatus) the sample to be investigated is linked to a so called "suspension magnet". An electromagnet, which is attached at the underfloor weighing hook of a balance, maintains the freely suspended state of the suspension magnet via an electronical control unit. Using this magnetic suspension coupling the measuring force is transmitted contactlessly from the measuring chamber to the microbalance which is located outside the chamber under ambient conditions. Consequently, this set up eliminates almost all restrictions which are inherent to conventional gravimetric measuring instruments, and a general application of this extremely accurate and direct measuring method in various scientific research and development fields becomes both possible and obvious.








Magnetic suspension balances allow us to obtain extremely precise measurements of the force and mass changes which act on samples under controlled environments (pressure, temperature, aggressive atmospheres etc.). These measurements enable us to determine transport quantities and state quantities quickly and accurately, (sorption, diffusion, surface, tension, density), to study chemical reactions (corrosion, decomposition, pyrolysis etc.) and to investigate production techniques (polymerisation, coating, drying etc.).



Besides being applied to fundamental research work and material testing these measurements are also used to design and optimize a great number of industrial operations, e.g.:


Sorption measurements:

exhaust gas cleaning
soil detoxication
foodstuff manufacturing
natural gas and hydrogen storing and/or cleaning
plastic fabrication
supercritical fluid extraction


Thermogravimetry:

gasification of coal
garbage incineration
material synthesis


Density measurements:

PVT-behaviour measurement




Metal version for pressures from UHV...350 bar. Glass version for highly corrosive media.

	metal version	glass version
pressure range	UHV...350 bar	vacuum...1.3 bar
temperature range (total measuring volume,   i.e. suspension coupling and measuring cell with sample)	-196°C...350°C	0°C...100°C
applying thermal decoupling (sample temperature)	up to 1550°C (with ceramic measuring cell)
resolution	0,01 mg to 1 ~µg
reproducibility (standard deviations)	± 0.02mg to± 2µg
relative error	<= 0.002% of measured value
Maximum load	60g or 10g

The application range for standard versions of the magnetic suspenion balance is given here. Special versions of the magnetic suspension balance considerably extend this measuring range.

The accuracy of the suspension balances is higher than that which can be achieved by manual weighing with a commercial balance alone. This results from an optimum control of the free suspension state, the gentle coupling and decoupling of the measuring load by the suspension coupling itself, the zero point correction and the calibration of the balances. The latter leads to a measuring accuracy with a 2 digit reproducibility which can hardly be bettered, particularly when long term measurements are carried out.


Measuring Principle:





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Magnetic Suspension Balance



Magnetic Suspension Balance / MSB-Lifting sample Demo-Video: