A CONTINUOUS SEMI-AUTOMATIC REACTION RATE MEASURING INSTRUMENT FOR KINETIC BASED ANALYSES

A semi-automatic modular instrument system for chemical analyses by both kinetic-based or equilibrium methods is described. This system is a high stability low noise spectrophotometer that is primarily designed to measure continuously the rates of chemical reactions. However, absorbance and transmittance can also be measured as a function of time. Furthermore, a coefficient multiplier is built into the servo system so that concentration in appropriate units is read out directly. Sample handling, certain sequential operations in the initiation of the reactions, readout printing, etc., are controlled automatically with respect to time by a solid state digital logic system. Factors controlling the accuracy and linearity of the instrument electronic response as well as example results of the analysis of several species are reported. © 1969, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.