Proper care of pH sensors can dramatically increase their lifetime. A new guide from METTLER TOLEDO explains, step-by-step, how Intelligent Sensor Management (ISM®) technology provides maximum lifetime for pH probes.

Over time and through use, pH sensors are affected by their measuring environment and require cleaning, calibrations and adjustments to ensure accurate and precise measurements. Eventually, measurements from the probe will become unreliable and will have to be replaced. In a new guide, METTLER TOLEDO Process Analytics explains how using ISM technology can increase pH sensor lifetime by more than 100%.

Analog sensors are calibrated and cleaned at the process, and due to the necessity of rapidly restoring a measurement point these activities are usually conducted quickly. This often means that a sensor is not cleaned sufficiently. More importantly, because the sensor is swiftly returned to service the sensor's diaphragm does not have time to revive its functionality.

METTLER TOLEDO's ISM technology is a digital platform in which pH sensors retain their own calibration data. This means that they can be calibrated away from the process in any convenient location. When a sensor at a measurement point requires cleaning or calibration it can be quickly replaced with a sensor that has already been maintained.

In a lab or workshop, time can be spent adequately cleaning the failing sensor and then, using METTLER TOLEDO's iSense PC software, accurately calibrating the sensor. Once this is done the sensor can be stored correctly in a KCl solution, which gives the sensor's diaphragm sufficient time to revive.

This process of rotating sensors in and out of service extends the lifetime of the probes, and drastically minimizes the workload on maintenance personnel, who will spend far less time at measurement points.

The illustrated guide clearly shows all the steps required. It is available to download from www.mt.com/ism-calibration-guide

About METTLER TOLEDO
METTLER TOLEDO's Process Analytics division develops and manufactures instrumentation and sensors used for liquid process measurement, and measurement in pure and ultrapure water applications. Their product portfolio covers measurement of pH, dissolved and gaseous oxygen, dissolved ozone, oxygen reduction potential (ORP), resistivity/conductivity and total organic carbon (TOC). METTLER TOLEDO Process Analytics consists of two business units, Ingold and Thornton, whose products are commonly used in industries such as:

• Pharmaceutical and biotechnology
• Chemical process and refining industries
• Brewing, food and beverage production
• Power and steam generation plants
• Microelectronics manufacturing

For additional information, visit http://www.mt.com/pro