Development of a Novel Thermal Technique for Detection of Water in Solvents
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Accurate measurement of water concentration in various common solvents presents significant challenges due to the limitations of traditional detection methods, including low throughput and high costs. This study introduces a novel thermal detection technique, the LiquiSensor probe, designed for low-cost, rapid, and accurate quantification of water concentration in ethanol. The measurement principle utilizes differential thermal responses across a range of water concentrations (0-30%) in ethanol, combined with a reverse interval partial least squares (iPLS) regression model. In blind benchtop trials, LiquiSensor demonstrated accuracy within <1% of the actual water concentrations, with a standard deviation of 0.107%, indicating excellent precision, and a measurement time of only 10 minutes for multiple readings (with potential for reduction). This rapid response time, coupled with high accuracy and precision, presents significant opportunities for in-situ process monitoring as well as benchtop quality control.
DOI: 10.26502/fjhs.257
Authors: Joe Kirkup, Prab Birdi, Phil Radford, Kam Chana
Language: English
Subfield: Analytical Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4409328011