www.milwaukeeinst.com INSTRUCTION MANUAL Milwaukee Refractometer MA871 Refractometer for Sucrose Measurements www.milwaukeeinst.
Instruction Manual MA871 Refractometer for Sucrose Measurements TABLE OF CONTENTS FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION ............................................................................. 3 GENERAL DESCRIPTION .................................................................................... 5 SPECIFICATIONS .............................................................................................. 6 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION ................................................................................
www.milwaukeeinst.com FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION DISPLAY A. BATTERY STATUS ICON (BLINKS WHEN LOW BATTERY CONDITION DETECTED) B. MEASUREMENT IN PROGRESS TAG C. SETUP: FACTORY CALIBRATION TAG D. CAL: CALIBRATION TAG E. F. PRIMARY DISPLAY (DISPLAYS MEASUREMENT AND ERROR MESSAGES) AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION (BLINKS WHEN TEMPERATURE EXCEEDS 10-40 °C / 50-104 °F RANGE) G. TEMPERATURE UNITS H.
Instruction Manual MA871 Refractometer for Sucrose Measurements FRONT PANEL A. LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD) B. READ KEY (USER MEASUREMENT) C. ZERO KEY (USER CALIBRATION) D. ON/OFF E. PRIMARY DISPLAY F. SECONDARY DISPLAY G. STAINLESS STEEL SAMPLE WELL AND PRISM BOTTOM H. BATTERY COVER I.
www.milwaukeeinst.com GENERAL DESCRIPTION SIGNIFICANCE OF USE Thank you for choosing Milwaukee. This instruction manual will provide you the necessary information for correct use of the meter. The MA871 is an optical instrument that employs the measurement of refractive index to determine the % Brix of sugar in aqueous solutions. The method is both simple and quick. Samples are measured after a simple user calibration with deionized or distilled water.
Instruction Manual MA871 Refractometer for Sucrose Measurements SPECIFICATIONS 6 Range 0 to 85% Brix 0 to 80 °C (32 to 175 °F) Resolution 0.1% Brix 0.1 °C (0.1 °F) Accuracy ± 0.2% Brix ± 0.3 °C (± 0.5 °F) Light Source Yellow LED Measurement Time Approximately 1.
www.milwaukeeinst.com PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION The Brix determination is made by measuring the refractive index of a solution. Refractive Index is an optical characteristic of a substance and the number of dissolved particles in it. Refractive Index is defined as the ratio of the speed of light in empty space to the speed of light in the substance. A result of this property is that light will “bend”, or change direction, when it travels through a substance of different refractive index.
Instruction Manual MA871 Refractometer for Sucrose Measurements MEASUREMENT GUIDELINES 8 • Handle instrument carefully. Do not drop. • Do not immerse instrument under water. • Do not spray water to any part of instrument except the “sample well” located over the prism. • The instrument is intended to measure sugar solutions. Do not expose instrument or prism to solvents that will damage it. This includes most organic solvents and extremely hot or cold solutions.
www.milwaukeeinst.com CALIBRATION PROCEDURE Calibration should be performed daily, before measurements are made, when the battery has been replaced, or between a long series of measurements. 1. Press the ON/OFF key, then release. Two instrument test screens will be displayed briefly; an “all segment” screen followed by the percentage of remaining battery life. When LCD displays dashes, the instrument is ready. 2. Using plastic pipettes, fill the sample well with distilled or deionized water.
Instruction Manual MA871 Refractometer for Sucrose Measurements 4. Gently absorb the ZERO water standard with a soft tissue. Use care not to scratch the prism surface. Wipe off the surface completely. The instrument is ready for sample measurement. Note: If instrument is turned off the calibration will not be lost. MEASUREMENT PROCEDURE Verify the instrument has been calibrated before taking measurements. 1. Wipe off prism surface located at the bottom of the sample well. 2.
www.milwaukeeinst.com 5. Using plastic pipettes, rinse prism and sample well with distilled or deionized water. Wipe dry. The instrument is ready for the next sample. MAKING A STANDARD % BRIX SOLUTION To make a Brix Solution, follow the procedure below: • Place container (such as a glass vial or dropper bottle that has a cover) on an analytical balance. • Tare the balance. • To make an X BRIX solution weigh out X grams of high purity Sucrose (CAS #: 57-50-1) directly into the container.
Instruction Manual MA871 Refractometer for Sucrose Measurements CHANGING TEMPERATURE UNIT To change the temperature measurement unit from Celsius to Fahrenheit (or vice versa), follow this procedure. 1. Press and hold the ON/OFF key continuously for aproximately 15 seconds. The LCD will display the “all segment” screen followed by a screen with the model number on the primary display and the version number on the secondary display. Continue pressing the ON/OFF key. 15 seconds 2.
www.milwaukeeinst.com ERROR MESSAGES E rror Code Description E rr Ge ne r a l fa i l ur e . Cycl e p o we r t o i nst r um e nt . I f i ns t r um e nt s t i l l ha s e r r o r, contact Milwaukee. LO Top disp lay S a m p l e i s r e a d i ng l o we r than the 0 % standard used for m eter calib ration. HI Top disp lay Sam p le exceeds m axim um m easurem ent range. LO Top disp lay Cal segm ent ON Wrong ca l i b ra ti on used to zero i nstrum ent. Use deionized or distilled water. Press Zero.
Instruction Manual MA871 Refractometer for Sucrose Measurements BATTERY REPLACEMENT To replace the instrument’s battery, follow these steps: • Turn the instrument OFF by pressing the ON/OFF key. • Turn instrument upside down and remove the battery cover by turning it counterclockwise. • Extract the battery from its location. • Replace with fresh 9V battery making certain to observe polarity. • Insert the back battery cover and fasten it by turning clockwise to engage.
www.milwaukeeinst.com For your Safety don’t use or store the instrument in hazardous environments. To avoid damages or burns, do not perform any measurement in microwave ovens. WARRANTY This instrument is warranted against defects in materials and manufacturing for a period of 2 years from the date of purchase. Electrodes are warranted for 6 months.
Instruction Manual MA871 Refractometer for Sucrose Measurements THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING Sales and Technical Service Contacts: Milwaukee s.r.l. C.so Leonardo da Vinci 48/50 21013 Gallarate (VA) ITALY Tel: +39 0331 26 80 09 Fax: +39 0331 26 80 33 e-mail: sales@milwaukee.191.it Milwaukee Instruments, Inc. 2950 Business Park Drive Rocky Mount, NC 27804 USA Tel: +1 252 443 3630 Fax: +1 252 443 1937 e-mail: sales@milwaukeetesters.com www.milwaukeeinst.
