An infrared moisture detector is also known as an infrared moisture meter. The sample is quickly dried by the instrument through the infrared heating unit and the moisture evaporation channel. During the drying process, the moisture meter keeps track of how much moisture the sample has lost and shows it right away. After the drying process is done, the final moisture content value is locked and shown.

An infrared moisture meter can be used in laboratories and production processes in food, meat, textiles, agriculture, forestry, papermaking, rubber, plastic, textiles, and other industries that need to measure moisture quickly.

Principle

An infrared moisture meter is a device that can find out how wet a material is without touching it. The infrared moisture meter has a high-precision infrared filter motor attached to the runner. This lets the reference light and measuring light pass through the filter in turn. The focus of the retained beam is on the sample being tested. First, the reference light is shown on the sample, and then the measurement light is shown on the sample.

The two pulses of light energy will be sent back to a detector and turned into two electrical signals, one after the other. When the two signals are added together, they make a ratio. This ratio is related to the amount of water in the material, so it can be used to measure the amount of water.

The infrared light from the light source goes through the filter on the optical disc and is sent to the material being measured by the reflector. Only infrared light with a certain wavelength can get through the different filters on the sub-disc. The motor makes the sub disc spin quickly, which lets infrared light of the measured wavelength and the reference wavelength pass through to the material being measured. Some of the infrared light is absorbed by the material, and some of it is reflected back to the concave condenser. They are picked up by the photoelectric sensor, which turns them into electrical signals that the next circuit uses to figure out how wet the material is.

Is the information the infrared moisture meter finds correct?

The accuracy of an infrared moisture meter‘s measurements depends on how well it measures weight. The higher the level of accuracy, the more exact and precise it is. Second, it depends on how the sample looks and feels. There are different ways to figure out how wet a sample is, and there are also different kinds of moisture meters. To sum up, different samples need different tools to measure moisture, and the same-principle moisture measurement depends on how accurate the measuring tool is.

Advantages of using an infrared moisture meter instead of a conventional oven heating method

Compared to heating in an oven, infrared heating can reach its maximum heating power in the shortest amount of time, and the sample can be dried quickly at a high temperature. The results of the detection method match up well with the national standard oven method, which can be changed, and the detection method is much better than the oven method.

Most of the time, it only takes a few minutes to figure out what is in a sample. The instrument is easy to use and gives accurate results when being tested. The display uses a red nixie tube, and the value being shown is easy to see. It can show the moisture value, the initial value and final value of a sample, the measurement time, the initial value and final value of temperature, and other information. It can also connect to a computer and a printer.

Differences between infrared, far infrared, and near infrared moisture measuring instruments

An infrared moisture meter uses infrared light to heat the thing being measured, which causes all the water in the thing being measured to evaporate. The weight loss method is then used to figure out how much water is in the thing being measured. The direct method, also called the weight loss method, is a way to measure water.

The near-infrared moisture meter works on the idea that water molecules will absorb near-infrared wavelengths. It does this by looking at the change in near-infrared energy of a specific wavelength to figure out how much water is in the sample. This method of measuring water is part of the indirect method.

  • Near-infrared moisture meter

An infrared moisture meter is a device that can measure moisture in real time. It is mostly used on the production line to keep an eye on how wet things are in real time. The near-infrared moisture meter has strict rules about how samples should be the same. Before the installation, a database should be set up.

During the test, if the samples are changed, the data should also be changed. A fast infrared moisture tester should be used to calibrate this item often. That is, if you buy an online moisture meter, you should also buy a standard infrared moisture meter and often calibrate the online moisture meter.

Analyze the change in the near-infrared energy of a certain wavelength based on the idea that water molecules will absorb the near-infrared wavelength. Use industries: tobacco, ore, agriculture, etc.

  • Moisture meter infrared

This kind of product is often used in labs to test other products, but it takes a long time to test and warms up slowly. Some things, like seeds, distiller’s grains, etc., don’t work well with it because they have strict needs and high moisture levels. Too long hurts the value in a big way.

  • Moisture meter with infrared technology

The wavelengths of infrared, far infrared, and near infrared are different, which is the main difference between them. Infrared rays are very good at getting through things. Because the heated and dried substance absorbs far-infrared radiation energy at the same time in the interior and surface molecules at a certain depth, it produces a self-heating effect, which makes the solvent or water molecules evaporate and heat evenly, preventing deformation and quality changes caused by different degrees of thermal expansion and keeping the appearance, physical and mechanical properties, fastness, and color of the substance unchanged.

The difference between a halogen moisture meter and an infrared moisture meter

Halogen moisture meters and infrared moisture meters are used in fields that need to measure moisture quickly, like medicine, food, textiles, rapeseed, and other experiments and production processes. So, what makes a halogen moisture meter different from an infrared moisture meter?

The heating lamp is the main difference between a halogen moisture meter and an infrared moisture meter. The heat from an infrared lamp is an infrared moisture meter. The heat from a halogen lamp is a halogen moisture meter.

The advantages of a halogen moisture meter over an infrared moisture meter are:

  • Halogen lamps have a long service life and a high calorific value.
  • An annular heating tube makes it easier to heat the sample at the same rate.
  • Halogen lamps contain inert gases.
  • The heating methods of the halogen moisture meterand the infrared moisture meter are different.

Most of the time, the infrared moisture meter uses the infrared heating mode, and the infrared heating lamp is what does the heating. The body of the infrared heating lamp is round. During the heating process, there are places where the water can condense. The color of the sample being tested will change, but that won’t change the results of the test.

The halogen moisture meter has a halogen heating mode, and a halogen heating lamp provides the heat. Because the halogen heating lamp is shaped like a ring, it heats the test sample evenly across its entire surface. This means that the measured sample doesn’t change and is more stable.

The repeatability of the infrared moisture meter depends on a number of factors. The infrared moisture meter is easy to use and gives accurate readings. Its test results are also pretty consistent, but sometimes the readings will be different.

Factors affecting the poor repeatability of the infrared moisture meter:

  • The sample is not uniform.
  • The drying time selected is too short. Extend the drying time or choose the right mode to close: “weight loss per unit time.”
  • The sample is not completely dry.
  • The selected temperature is too high or the sample is oxidized. Reduce the drying temperature. The console is unstable. Please use a stable console.
  • The sample boils and splashes continuously to change the temperature. Please clean the protective glass.
  • When the protective glass is polluted and corroded, the heating capacity cannot be brought into full play. Please clean the protective glass.
  • The temperature sensor is contaminated or damaged.
  • Unstable external environment (vibration, etc.).

The difference between an infrared moisture tester and a microwave moisture tester

The infrared moisture meter is a non-contact measurement that can be done on-line. This means that it works well in situations like high temperature, high humidity, and materials that wear down quickly. Other measurement limits are big, and there are no special rules about how hot or cold materials have to be.

The microwave moisture meter is a contact measurement, so it has high requirements for the materials being measured, such as temperature, humidity, corrosivity, etc. The way the product looks doesn’t have much of an effect on the measurement results. By comparing the two types of moisture meters, we can see that each has its own advantages in theory and in use, and that we should choose one based on our needs.

Instructions before using an infrared moisture meter

Several preparations need to be made before using the infrared moisture meter, as follows:

  1. Work on a workbench that is both fixed and horizontal. Loosen the gong wire of a part of the weighing part that is protected by the bottom surface. Then, gently place the weighing support and weighing plate on the meter, and move two of the movable feet under the rear bottom plate to make it horizontal.
  2. Preheating method: It must be preheated for 30 minutes before use. If the ambient temperature is low, it needs to be preheated for one hour. The data measured after preheating is true and effective.
  3. Turn on the power switch behind the infrared moisture tester and hear the buzzer sound. After the tester is powered on, start self-inspection. The five digits in the data display window display “99999-00000” in turn, and then “0.000”, and the initial value is displayed in the temperature display window.
  4. Check that the AC power socket is intact, take out the power cord, and connect the power to the infrared moisture meter.
  5. Calibration of measurement accuracy. The infrared moisture meterhas been calibrated before leaving the factory. However, it is suggested that when users use the measuring instrument for the first time, or suspect that there is an error in the results, or when the measuring object is a new variety, they should calibrate the instrument by the oven method.

FAQ

1) The measurement time is excessive.

A: It may be that the selected shutdown mode is inappropriate. Please try to change to a suitable shutdown mode.

2) When the display is turned on, it remains black.

Possible reasons are: no voltage; the power cord is not connected; blown fuse; the instrument is damaged.

3) The instrument cannot be heated after the test has begun.

A: If the drying unit gets too hot, the thermal overload protection function may be turned on. For safe operation, the instrument has two kinds of overheating protection: the drying unit has a thermal overload protection (bimetallic sensor) that can turn off the heating unit.

4) When the display is turned on, it remains black.

Possible reasons are: no voltage; the power cord is not connected; blown fuse; the instrument is damaged.

5) The measurement time is excessive.

A: It may be that the selected shutdown mode is inappropriate. Please try to change to a suitable shutdown mode.

Summary

The free moisture of raw materials, fuels, grains, food, tea, and other things can be measured with an infrared moisture rapid measuring instrument. Place the sample to be measured on the scale pan inside the instrument, and turn on the scale and the infrared heating device.

Under direct infrared light, the sample’s free water evaporates quickly. When all of the free water in the sample has evaporated and the weight loss is fairly stable, the instrument’s reading window can be used to get a direct reading of the percentage of water in the sample.