There are many challenges in measuring the pH of food products.  This is especially true for food products that have a high solids content that can clog the outer junction of the reference cell. Every glass pH electrode has a reference electrode as part of the measuring circuit. The reference cell has a junction, also known as a salt bridge, that isolates the inside portion of the cell from the sample being measured. This junction must be free flowing in order to provide continuity with the sample.

Standard pH electrodes will use a porous ceramic frit for a junction. When the junction becomes clogged with solids the continuity with the sample is disrupted and results in sluggish and erratic readings. To overcome this many of the Hanna Foodcare pH electrodes utilize an open junction design in which there is no ceramic barrier but instead an exposed gel known as Viscolene. The open junction design is clogging resistant but it is still possible to force solids into the reference cell as force is exerted on the probe to penetrate solid/semisolid samples.

The FC2053 is a technical advancement of the open junction design. The FC2053 has a unique removable sleeve that is used as part of the open junction design. When the readings become sluggish or erratic the sleeve is simply removed and both the sleeve and glass are cleaned. After cleaning a few drops of the HI9071 electrolyte filling gel are added and the sleeve placed back onto the probe. Having a clean probe with a fresh reference electrolyte will improve performance allowing for an extended life and reduced costs associated with frequent replacements.

FEATURES/BENEFITS - FC2053 pH/Temperature Probe for Food Products Testing

Removable sleeve for cleaning of outer reference - A common problem when testing food products is the clogging of the reference junction. When this happens the electrical circuit from the indicating probe to the reference cell is disrupted resulting in  sluggish and erratic readings. The FC2053 allows for cleaning of the outer reference area of any solids/semi-solids that get trapped during measurement.                

Replaceable gel electrolyte - The FC2053 is supplied with the HI9071 electrolyte gel to replace the gel that is removed as part of the disassembly and cleaning process.

PVDF Body - The PVDF body is a food grade plastic that offers durability.  PVDF plastic is resistant to to chlorine (bleach) that is a common chemical used for disinfection.

Conical Glass Tip - The conical shaped tip design allows for penetration into solids, semi-solids, and emulsions for the direct measurement of pH in a variety of food products.

Low Temperature Glass - The FC2053 pH electrode uses Low Temperature (LT) glass for the sensing bulb. The LT glass tip is a special glass formulation with a lower resistance when compared to general purpose (GP) glass. This design is beneficial as many food products are stored at lower temperatures. As the temperature of the sensing glass decreases the resistance of the LT glass will increase approaching the ideal resistance of GP glass at ambient temperatures.

Built-in Temperature Sensor – The FC2053 pH electrode features a built-in thermistor temperature sensor that is in the tip of the indicating pH electrode. A thermistor temperature sensor provides for a high accuracy temperature reading. The temperature reading is necessary in order to compensate for temperature variations that affect the electrode response.  The thermistor temperature sensor is located in the tip of the pH bulb for a fast and accurate temperature measurement that impacts a membrane potential as according to the Nernst equation.

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