Isolating interferences in alkalinity measurement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11714059-B2
Application number	US-202017132527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2020
Priority date	Dec 23, 2020
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

An embodiment provides a method for measuring a characteristic of an aqueous sample, including: introducing the aqueous sample to a titration region and a reaction region of a measurement device, wherein the titration region comprises a pH electrode and a protonator electrode contacting a first portion of an aqueous sample, wherein the reaction region comprises a counter electrode contacting a second portion of the aqueous sample; placing an electrolyte reservoir in a state of electrical continuity with the titration region and the reaction region, wherein the electrolyte reservoir comprises a reference electrode, wherein the volume of the electrolyte reservoir comprises a large volume of an electrolyte; and determining a characteristic of the aqueous sample by measuring an electrochemical characteristic between the reference electrode and at least one of: the pH electrode and the counter electrode. Other aspects are described and claimed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for measuring a characteristic of an aqueous sample, comprising:
introducing the aqueous sample to a titration region and a reaction region of a measurement device, wherein the titration region comprises a pH electrode and a protonator electrode contacting a first portion of the aqueous sample, wherein the reaction region comprises a counter electrode contacting a second portion of the aqueous sample;
placing an electrolyte reservoir in a state of electrical continuity with the titration region and the reaction region, wherein the electrolyte reservoir comprises a reference electrode, wherein the volume of the electrolyte reservoir comprises a volume of an electrolyte, wherein a path for a portion of the aqueous sample through the titration region and a path for another portion of the aqueous sample through the reaction region are parallel and fluidically separated from one another; and
a memory storing instructions executable by a processor to determine the characteristic of the aqueous sample by measuring an electrochemical characteristic between the reference electrode and at least one of: the pH electrode and the counter electrode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pH electrode comprises a boron-doped diamond pH electrode.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protonator electrode comprises a boron-doped diamond protonator electrode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protonator electrode generates protons for titration of the aqueous sample.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the titration region comprises at least one gate to stop flow of the aqueous sample.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction region comprises at least one gate to stop flow of the aqueous sample.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state of electrical continuity is selected from the group consisting of: a porous junction and a membrane.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state of electrical continuity comprises a bridge double junction, wherein a first junction is between the titration region and the electrolyte reservoir and a second junction is between the reaction region and the electrolyte reservoir.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state of electrical continuity comprises a junction for continuity amongst the titration region, the reaction region, and the electrolyte reservoir.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a fluidic separation of the titration region and the reaction region separates a contamination of a product produced at the counter electrode from the titration region.

11. A measurement device for measuring a characteristic of an aqueous sample, comprising:
a titration region comprising a pH electrode and a protonator electrode, wherein the pH electrode and the protonator electrode contact a first portion of the aqueous sample;
a reaction region comprising a counter electrode, wherein the counter electrode contacts a second portion of the aqueous sample, wherein a path for a portion of the aqueous sample through the titration region and a path for another portion of the aqueous sample through the reaction region are parallel and fluidically separated from one another;
an electrolyte reservoir in a state of electrical continuity with the titration region and the reaction region, wherein the electrolyte reservoir comprises a reference electrode, wherein the reference electrode contacts a volume of electrolyte; and
a memory storing instructions executable by a processor to:
determine the characteristic of the aqueous sample by measuring an electrochemical characteristic between the reference electrode and at least one of: the pH electrode and the counter electrode.

12. The measurement device of claim 11 , wherein the pH electrode comprises a boron-doped diamond pH electrode.

13. The measurement device of claim 11 , wherein the protonator electrode comprises a boron-doped diamond protonator electrode.

14. The measurement device of claim 11 , wherein the protonator electrode generates protons for titration of the aqueous sample.

15. The measurement device of claim 11 , wherein the titration region comprises at least one gate to stop flow of the aqueous sample.

16. The measurement device of claim 11 , wherein the reaction region comprises at least one gate to stop flow of the aqueous sample.

17. The measurement device of claim 11 , wherein the state of electrical continuity is selected from the group consisting of: a porous junction and a membrane.

18. The measurement device of claim 11 , wherein the state of electrical continuity comprises a bridge double junction, wherein a first junction is between the titration region and the electrolyte reservoir and a second junction is between the reaction region and the electrolyte reservoir.

19. The measurement device of claim 11 , wherein the state of electrical continuity comprises a junction for continuity amongst the titration region, the reaction region, and the electrolyte reservoir.

20. A product for measuring a characteristic of an aqueous sample, comprising:
a titration region comprising a pH electrode and a protonator electrode, wherein the pH electrode and the protonator electrode contact a first portion the aqueous sample;
a reaction region comprising a counter electrode, wherein the counter electrode contacts a second portion of the aqueous sample, wherein a path for a portion of the aqueous sample through the titration region and a path for another portion of the aqueous sample through the reaction region are parallel and fluidically separated from one another;
an electrolyte reservoir in a state of electrical continuity with the titration region and the reaction region, wherein the electrolyte reservoir comprises a reference electrode, wherein the reference electrode contacts a volume of electrolyte;
a processor; and
a storage device having code stored therewith, the code being executable by the processor and comprising:
code that determines the characteristic of the aqueous sample by measuring an electrochemical characteristic between the reference electrode and at least one of: the pH electrode and the counter electrode.

Assignees

• Hach Co

Inventors

• Salzer Corey Alan

Classifications

• G01N27/302 Primary

  pH sensitive, e.g. quinhydron, antimony or hydrogen electrodes (ion selective electrodes G01N27/333, glass electrodes G01N27/36) · CPC title

• G01N27/301

  Reference electrodes · CPC title

• G01N27/308

  at least partially made of carbon · CPC title

• G01N31/16 Primary

  using titration · CPC title

• G01N31/164

  by electrical or electrochemical means · CPC title