Saccharimeter

Rudolph Research Analytical - Automatic Saccharimeter

Rudolph is committed to producing high-quality instrumentation and delivering exceptional technical and service support. This commitment is evident in the company’s installed base of over 8,000 instruments worldwide, many of which have remained operational for over 30 years.

Compliance with:
• ICUMSA GS1/2/3-2
• ICUMSA GS1/2/3/9-1
• ICUMSA GS7-31

Why Our Saccharimeter?

  • Rudolph’s Saccharimeter has the Temptrol™ (Patent No. 6,717,665) Electronic Heating
    and Cooling System
    to eliminate the cost and space required for an external water bath.
  • Temperature correction is available such as 30°C sucrose sample can be measured by the temperature probe and corrected to 20°C or 27.5°C or a customer-defined temperature.
  • All Rudolph’s Saccharimeters use Glan Thompson Calcite Polarizers instead of plastic ones. Plastic polarizers are susceptible to heat, may warp over time, degrade due to moisture, and tend to absorb more light than Calcite Polarizers. As a result, they typically need to be replaced every 3 to 5 years. While Calcite Polarizer doesn’t need to be changed at all.
  • Rudolph’s Saccharimeters provides dilution and cell length correction through an appropriate multiplier to present the reading as if the sample were prepared as a 1 normal solution in a 200 mm optical pathlength cell.
  • Rudolph offers a 20-year commitment to ensuring your instrument remains fully operational, making the long-term cost of ownership one of the lowest in the laboratory market. As of the publication date of this document, no other laboratory instrument manufacturer provides a similar guarantee of service and technical support for 20 years.
  • Highly configurable. From sample loading options, to be able to combine different instruments such as the refractometer or density meter to produce measurement routines on up to 240 samples. We can design a custom configuration just for your application.
  • cGMP/GLP calibration and printing
  • Windows OS and versatile communication capability

How to select an Automatic Saccharimeter model

The questions below will help you determine which model best suits your needs.
  • What is your application? Do you have standards like ICUMSA?
  • What is your wavelength requirement?
  • Do you need higher accuracy?
  • Do you need temperature control?
  • Do you need easy sample loading?
  • Do you need the purity system?
 
Instrument Models

We have 5 Autopol models with differences in accuracy, wavelengths, and temperature control.

Autopol IZ

This instrument is the entry model widely used for sugar applications that do not require ICUMSA measurements at the 880-nanometer wavelength.

  • Wavelength only on 589nm
  •  Accuracy: 0.02°Z
  • Measurement Range: ±259°Z, ±89.99°Arc
  • No temperature control
  •  Temperature Correction: 20°C, 27.5°C or user-defined
Autopol IIZ

For sugar mills following the ICUMSA non-lead procedure but not requiring the precision of Rudolph’s higher-end models. Autopol IIZ has the same external physique as Autopol IZ but has 2 wavelengths instead of 1.

  • Wavelengths: 589nm and 880nm
  •  Accuracy: 0.02°Z
  • Measurement Range: ±259°Z, ±89.99°Arc
  • No temperature control
  •  Temperature Correction: 20°C, 27.5°C or user-defined
Autopol 589

Autopol 589 has better accuracy than Autopol IZ & IIZ but only has the 589 nm wavelength thus incompatible with ICUMSA testing at 880 nm. The 589 nm wavelength is intended for lead or other suitable clarifier applications.
  • Wavelengths: 589nm
  •  Accuracy: 0.01°Z
  • Measurement Range: ±259°Z, ±89.99°Arc
  • Temperature control is optional (Only suitable for modern, air-conditioned laboratories)
  •  Temperature Correction: 20°C, 27.5°C or user-defined
Autopol 880/880T
This is Rudolph’s most widely used saccharimeter, employed by 98% of US sugar mills, 100% of US customs labs, and thousands of sugar mills worldwide. The difference between 880 and 880T is only on the temperature control feature. 880T comes standard with it. This model also comes in 2 or 4 wavelength versions.
 
  • Standards Wavelengths: 589nm and 880nm
  • Optional Wavelengths: 589nm, 587nm, 880nm, 882nm
  •  Accuracy: 0.01°Z
  • Measurement Range: ±259°Z, ±89.99°Arc
  • Temperature control is optional (Only suitable for modern, air-conditioned laboratories)
  •  Temperature Correction: 20°C, 27.5°C or user-defined
Autopol 880 Plus/880T Plus

This is Rudolph’s newest and most advanced model, designed and tested in collaboration with laboratories analyzing pharmaceutical-grade sugars. The difference it has against 880 or 880T is the rotatable control touch screen and pour through sample well to make sample loading and cleaning easier.
 
  • Standards Wavelengths: 589nm and 880nm
  • Optional Wavelengths: 589nm, 587nm, 880nm, 882nm
  •  Accuracy: 0.01°Z
  • Measurement Range: ±259°Z, ±89.99°Arc
  • Temperature control is optional (Only suitable for modern, air-conditioned laboratories)
  •  Temperature Correction: 20°C, 27.5°C or user-defined
Purity System

The purity software comes standard on all Rudolph’s Saccharimeters but a refractometer is needed. The PURITY software, combined with a refractometer, enables dilution on either a weight/weight or weight/volume basis, which can be predefined for each sample name. Please visit our Rudolph Refractometer page to choose the model.

What is Purity Software?

The AUTOPOL® models 589, 880, 880 PLUS, and 880T consistently display Purity as if measuring a 1 normal solution, as defined in SPS-1: 3.1. A “normal sugar solution” is specified as 26.0160 g of pure sucrose weighed in vacuo and dissolved in water at 20.00°C to a final volume of 100.000 cm³. This is equivalent to 26.000 g weighed in the air under standard conditions (1013 mbar, 20°C, 50% relative humidity) and dissolved in water to the same final volume. Accordingly, Rudolph displays:

%Sucrose = °Z reading corrected for dilution

Example: a 1/4 normal wt. solution reading 13.70°Z will read (4 x 13.70°Z) 54.80 %Sucrose.

%RDS-OP = Refractometer dissolved solids or Brix original product before dilution

Example: a 3:1 dilution having a refractometer Brix reading of 14.30 would read 42.90 %RDS-OP (14.30 Brix x 3)

%PURITY = (%Sucrose/%RDS-OP) x 100 x apparent density polynomial

 
Sample Cell Types
 
The 14 Style Cells are the standard type while 33 style cells are used for pour-in sampling. It comes with 50mm, 100mm, and 200mm variations.
If you choose to have electronic temperature control, then 41T style cells are suitable. 32 style cells are for the automation system.
 
Optional Accessories
Octapol – Sugar Clarifying Agent

OCTAPOL® Sugar Clarifying Reagent is designed to clarify sugarcane and beet juice before a polarimetric analysis. It is a reliable and safe alternative to Lead Subacetate, eliminating the hazardous and undesirable properties associated with lead.

Octapol Advantages

  • Free from carcinogenic or toxic chemicals
  • Made with biodegradable organic ingredients
  • Provides effective clarification, ideal for use in factory laboratories
  • Ensures rapid filtration, suitable for incoming crush/core laboratories
  • Offers an indefinite shelf life before activation

Summary

First, you have to choose the models. The wavelength, accuracy, and temperature control requirements can help with the selection. Pour through model are available on AP 880 Plus and 880T Plus to make sample loading and cleaning easier.

The sample cell types depends on whether you want a manual sampling, pour-in sampling, or the usage of temperature control and automation.

Lastly, we have optional accessories. If you want to use the purity system you will need to choose a refractometer from the Rudolph lineup. Octapol is a sugar-clarifying agent that is environmentally friendly.

Videos

Autopol Overview
Octapol Sugar Clarifying Reagent
Autopol V Plus and VI
Polarimeter Measurement with an Autopol from Rudolph Research Autopol
Rudolph Polarimeter Mobile Fill Station
Polarimeter Technical Video: Cleaning a Rudolph Research Autopol Sample Cel