Diamond Shamrock Corporation

Roger M Hawk

Thomas A Mitchell

An apparatus and process for measuring the percent concentration of an electrolyte in solution is disclosed. The apparatus includes a crystal oscillator generating a square wave and a wave shaper to transform the wave into a monochromatic sine wave which passes through a two stage temperature compensated first buffer amplifier. The sine wave passes between electrodes which project into the solution under investigation and generates an output. A second buffer amplifier operates on the A.C. component of the output from the solution and is operatively connected to a half wave rectifier. The output of the half wave rectifier is proportional to the percent caustic. A temperature control device is utilized to hold the solution at a constant temperature. An alternate embodiment utilizes two identical circuits with two different solutions. One circuit is used with a solution having a known concentration and one with an unknown concentration. The outputs are compared in a differential amplifier. The process of this disclosure includes generating a square wave, converting the square wave to a monochromatic sine wave and amplifying the wave. The process further includes passing the monochromatic sine wave through a solution of an unknown concentration at a known temperature by means of electrodes projecting into the solution, removing any D.C. components, amplifying the output and converting it to a direct voltage repesenting the average of the A.C. wave. The magnitude of the output is then compared to a standard curve to note the concentration. Alternately, the monochromatic sine wave may be split and passed through a solution of unknown concentration to a solution of known concentration. The difference of the electrical outputs is taken and compared to calibration curves to determine the concentration.

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Mentor, OH, United States of America

Roger M Hawk