Eco Coulometer

Importance of the Topic

The accurate determination of water content is essential across industries such as chemicals, petrochemicals, and plastics. Moisture levels influence product quality, shelf life, and safety. Coulometric Karl Fischer titration remains the preferred technique thanks to its direct, specific measurement of water at trace concentrations, minimizing matrix interferences and delivering rapid results.

Objectives and Study Overview

This document introduces the Eco Coulometer, a Swiss-made instrument designed for straightforward, safe, and reliable coulometric water determination. Key goals include demonstrating ease of use, compliance with international standards, and adaptability to various sample types through optional accessories.

Methodology and Instrumentation

The Eco Coulometer employs coulometric Karl Fischer titration under the following principles:

• Direct electrochemical generation of titrant in situ for specific reaction with water.
• High sensitivity, enabling detection limits in the microgram range.
• Automated endpoint detection for rapid analysis (typically under 3 minutes per sample).

Pre-installed method templates streamline setup: select a method, condition the solvent, inject the sample, and view results on the touch-sensitive interface.

Used Instrumentation

• Eco Coulometer (generator electrode with or without diaphragm)
• 860 KF Thermoprep for thermal digestion of solid samples
• 885 Compact Oven Sample Changer for unattended analysis of up to 17 samples
• Solvent Pump with exchange accessories
• Custom Q3X Printer or USB export for GLP-compliant reporting

Key Results and Discussion

The Eco Coulometer delivers precise water content readings with minimal setup time. Users benefit from:

• Out-of-the-box installation guided by instructional video.
• Automatic titration workflow and immediate result display.
• GLP-compliant PDF reports documenting method, operator, and timestamp.
• Global on-site service and application support from Metrohm engineers.

Optional accessories enable tailored workflows: thermal digestion allows quantification in solids, while the sample changer supports high throughput.

Benefits and Practical Applications

The Eco Coulometer offers:

• Swiss quality with a three-year warranty.
• Safe reagent handling and competitive pricing.
• Compliance with EN, ISO, ASTM, and DIN standards.
• Applicability for diverse matrices from liquids to solids.
• Time savings and reduced operator intervention via automation.

Ideal for routine QA/QC laboratories, R&D, and production environments requiring reliable moisture analysis.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Advancements likely to shape water determination include:

• Further automation and integration with laboratory information systems.
• Enhanced sample preparation modules for challenging matrices.
• Connectivity features for remote monitoring and data management.
• Development of greener reagent formulations to reduce environmental impact.

These developments will expand the utility of coulometric titration in high-throughput and regulated settings.

Conclusion

The Eco Coulometer combines simplicity, speed, and precision in a Swiss-made package. By offering free method templates, robust service support, and modular accessories, it addresses the full spectrum of moisture analysis challenges—from trace water in liquids to high-throughput solid sample testing—while ensuring compliance with global standards.

Reference

Metrohm AG. Eco Coulometer: Coulometric water determination – simple, safe, and reliable. Document No. 8.000.5371EN. August 2021.