WO2008087687A2

WO2008087687A2 - Portable tester to check on the presence of chemical elements

Info

Publication number: WO2008087687A2
Application number: PCT/IT2008/000026
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michele Lapelosa; Stefano Muratori
Original assignee: Nitty Gritty S.R.L.
Priority date: 2007-01-19
Filing date: 2008-01-17
Publication date: 2008-07-24
Also published as: ITMO20070013A1; WO2008087687A3

Abstract

A portable tester (2) for determining the presence of chemical elements, comprising: a device (3) for bipolar electrical supply with two electrodes (5, 15), positioned near the object to be tested (S) and an absorbent component (19) placed on the surface (18) of the object for receiving a small quantity of chemical solution for the electrolytic bonding of the material to be tested; characterised in that the chemical solution is contained in a tank (11), inside the body of the tester; a tip (16) in absorbent material is in contact with the solution in the tank and with the surface to be tested (18); an electrode (5), advantageously the positive one (4), is positioned next to the tip (16) in order to make electrical contact with the surface to be tested (18) around the contact area of the tip; a second electrode (15) is placed very near to the tip in absorbent material (16), in order to be in contact with the component in absorbent material (19), when the latter are impregnated with the solution released by the tip in absorbent material in contact with it.

Description

PORTABLE TESTER TO CHECK ON THE PRESENCE OF CHEMICAL ELEMENTS

Technical field The present invention relates to a portable tester for determining the presence of chemical elements, or rather, an electric device that, with weak electrolytic action, enables the identification of chemical elements that are typical of the specimen being examined, such as metal alloy components. This tester is essential in ascertaining the quality of steel, which may be necessary for checking batches of raw materials or semi-finished products in a specific steel type; and is advantageously easy to handle and of a practical size.

Prior art

Various methods and apparatus that are more or less easy to handle for carrying out extemporaneous tests for the presence of chemical components in the specimen are known in the prior art. These methods are applied by means of weak electrolytic action localised on the surface of the specimen, which is usually metal, with an electrolyte for bonding to the surface, distributed on an absorbent component placed on the surface of the specimen. When the electrolytic action is applied briefly, the chemical element being tested for, if present, visibly colours the absorbent component. Other methods involve the application of a chemical product directly onto the surface being tested, where the colour that the chemical product takes on determines the presence of the element being tested for, but these methods require some time for application. Furthermore, other methods used for just small samples involve said sample being immersed in strong acids, such as nitric or sulphuric acid, where the colour taken on by the metal itself determines the quality of the steel, but these methods are not very practical due to the need to bathe the sample in strong acid. A very practical and immediate use is for example in identifying specific components in metals, that is, manganese, molybdenum or nickel in stainless steel, which differentiate high-grade, series 300 austenitic type steels, with a manganese content of less than 2%, compared with a lower-grade series 200 type stainless steel, with a much higher percentage of manganese, which after use and over time makes it subject to greater deterioration and oxidation, such as rust.

Furthermore, in the prior art there is a portable apparatus composed of a body with batteries for electricity supply and two wires for the connection of the poles with electrodes. One of these is a clamp, for the connection of one pole to the specimen, and the other is composed of a metal body, placed on the absorbent component, which has already been impregnated with the reagent, an electrolytic bonding solution, after having been extracted from the bottle supplied and placed on the absorbent component by the user.

The practicality of such a portable tester is very limited, in fact the components described are separate and distinct so the user has to follow a long and inconvenient procedure to detect the presence of the chemical element in question. In fact, the user, after having identified the specimen, has to apply the absorbent component to the specimen surface, pour on a small quantity of bonding solution, apply the pole with the clamp to the specimen and, finally, place the metal body on the absorbent component with the bonding solution. Once the time necessary for the electrolytic action has passed, the component being tested for is shown by colouring the absorbent material in a certain way.

In fact, its use is very inconvenient, as the parts have to be moved and positioned on the specimen, depending on their characteristics, requiring the user to use both hands. Furthermore, the manual dosage of the bonding solution is very inconvenient and prone to solution wastage or incorrect use. The bonding solution is also normally an acid solution that obviously requires precautions to be taken in handling it.

Additional improvements can be made to the prior art with regard to the possibility of creating a portable tester which can be made with smaller dimensions, thus enabling greater practicality in use, transport and reliability of results on the specimen in question.

What has been described above demonstrates the need to solve the technical problem by finding a new conformation for the parts that make up a tester, in order to provide apparatus with small dimensions, which can be carried in the user's pocket, thus providing greater practicality for use and the further aim of simplified manufacturing and as a result reduction in manufacturing costs.

Summary of the invention

The invention solves the above-mentioned technical problem by providing a portable tester for determining the presence of chemical elements, comprising: a device for bipolar electrical supply with two electrodes, positioned near the object to be tested, and an absorbent component placed on the surface for receiving a small quantity of chemical solution for the electrolytic bonding of the material to be tested; characterised in that the chemical solution is contained in a tank, inside the body of the tester; a tip in absorbent material is in contact with the solution in the tank and with the surface to be tested; an electrode, advantageously the positive one, is positioned next to the tip in order to make electrical contact with the surface to be tested around the contact area of the tip; a second electrode is placed very near to the tip in absorbent material, in order to be in contact with the component in absorbent material when the latter are impregnated with the solution released by the tip in absorbent material in contact with it.

Furthermore, a portable tester can advantageously comprise the two electrodes next to each other in the tester body and positioned in such a way that they come into contact with the surface to be tested at the same time.

Furthermore, the portable tester may be supplied with electricity by a series of batteries housed in the tester body.

Advantageously, in an improved embodiment of the invention, the portable tester may have the tank inside the body with the tip in absorbent material coaxial to said tank.

In a further and advantageous embodiment, a series of batteries, which provide the electrical supply, is housed inside the body or outer casing, together with the tank with the electrolytic bonding solution, advantageously in two parallel lines. Finally and advantageously, in a preferred embodiment, the portable tester may have a removable or replaceable sensing electrode on the support head; or, whether or not provided for as standard, the sensing electrode may also be axially mobile on the support head, to enable simultaneous contact of the two electrodes on the surface to be tested. - A -

Brief description of the drawings

A method for implementing the invention is illustrated, for exemplary reasons, in the three accompanying drawings, where Figure 1 represents a schematic view of the portable tester ready for transport, according to the present embodiment; Figure 2 is a schematic view of the components of the portable tester extracted from the outer casing, in their assembly positions inside the casing; Figure 3 is a schematic view of the portable tester ready for use, that is, with the protective cap removed; Figure 4 is a schematic view of the portable tester during use on the specimen being tested.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

The Figures show the outer casing 1 of the tester 2 inside which, in two lines, alongside each other, are the parts in Figure 2. In one line there are some batteries 3 with the positive pole 4 pointed towards a sensing electrode 5 and supported by a head 6, when placed on the surface to be tested. On the other end of the line there is a metal spring 7, for electrical conduction, and a metal cap 8. Means of electrical conduction are present and are advantageously composed of the body 1 , or outer casing, positioned between the lines alongside each other. Near the lower end of the other line there is, besides the cap 9 and a metal spring 10, a tank 11 for the reagent solution for the electrolytic bonding of the surface in question, ending with two caps, one upper 12 and one lower 13. Advantageously, the electrical circuit can be closed between the end cap 8 of the first line and the head 14 bearing the fixed electrode 15 inside which there is a tip 16 in felt, or other similar porous material, to conduct electrolytic solution from the tank 11 to the surface in contact with said tip, which is also in contact with the fixed electrode 15, when placed on the surface of the specimen to be tested. A removable cap 17 enables the tip to be covered and avoid leakage or evaporation of the electrolytic solution from the tank 11.

Finally, Figure 4 shows, with the same references to parts that have the same function, the specimen S that has a surface suitable for testing 18 and on which the absorbent component 19 is placed, to be used for absorbing the electrolytic solution. The absorbent component 19 is advantageously composed of a strip of absorbent paper.

The application of the qualitative survey method, with the tester described in the present invention, is greatly facilitated, in fact: the necessary operations are reduced to just removing the cap 17, positioning the strip of absorbent paper 19 on the surface 18 of the specimen S, pressing it with the hand that is holding the casing 1 of the tester 2, in order to place the fixed electrode 15 near to the surface of the absorbent component and ensure contact between the sensing electrode 5 and the surface 18 of the specimen, so as to ensure that the electric current passes from the batteries 3 to the electrodes. After the required time, which is a matter of seconds, the electrolytic action of the weak current involving the metal of the specimen, bonded to the electrolyte present in the absorbent component, highlights the colour of the absorbent component with the certain colour stated for that electrolyte in testing for the specific chemical component.

The advantages provided by this invention are: reduction to a minimum of the components of the tester that the user has to handle in carrying out the qualitative test for the chemical elements being tested for. ^"In fact, apart from removing the cap 17, the user can handle the tester with just one hand, which when positioned doses the quantity of electrolytic solution needed and applies the necessary current for the electrode contact. Furthermore, the tester provides the possibility of preparing, with different electrolytic bonding solutions, tests for different chemical elements; by following this solution the pre-arranged tester 2 series for testing for specific chemical elements in specific metal alloys, or if necessary other materials, proves to be advantageous. Furthermore, the possibility of replacing the tank 11 , and if necessary the tip in absorbent material 16, enables its use with several qualitative survey methods in testing for chemical elements with electrolytic action. In fact, an advantageous embodiment of the tank 11 involves the parts of said tank (11 , 12 and 13) being produced together with the tip 16 in absorbent material, so as to form a single component that is advantageously lengthened, so as to enable replacement in production or when the bonding solution has run out or also to make the tester body 2 more versatile, which each time can be adapted by the user for using different methods for qualitative electrolytic testing for chemical elements in the specimen, by varying the bonding solution with the replacement of the lengthened component.

In practical implementation, the materials, size and manufacturing details may be different but technically equivalent to those indicated, all of which, however, are included within the scope of protection of the present invention as defined by the following claims. Therefore, even if not shown, the tank 11 or the tip 16 can also be manufactured to be replaced separately, so as to change the reagent, with the electrolytic bonding solution, or the tip or both. The sensing electrode may be removable so as to enable it to be replaced quickly.

Claims

1. Portable tester (2) for determining the presence of chemical elements, comprising: a device (3) for bipolar electrical supply with two electrodes (5, 15), positioned near the object to be tested (S) and an absorbent component (19) placed on the surface (18) of the object for receiving a small quantity of chemical solution for the electrolytic bonding of the material to be tested; characterised in that the chemical solution is contained in a tank (11), inside the body of the tester; a tip (16) in absorbent material is in contact with the solution in the tank and with the surface to be tested (18); an electrode (5), advantageously the positive one (4), is positioned next to the tip (16) in order to make electrical contact with the surface to be tested (18) around the contact area of the tip; a second electrode (15) is placed very near to the tip in absorbent material (16), in order to be in contact with the component in absorbent material (19), when the latter are impregnated with the solution released by the tip in absorbent material in contact with it.

2. Portable tester, according to claim 1 , characterised in that the two electrodes (5, 15) are next to each other in the tester body and positioned in such a way that they come into contact with the surface to be tested (18) at the same time.

3. Portable tester, according to claim 1 , characterised in that it is supplied with electricity by a series of batteries (3) housed in the tester body (2).

4. Portable tester, according to claim 1 , characterised in that the tank (11) is located inside the tester body and the tip in absorbent material (16) is coaxial to said tank.

5. Portable tester, according to claim 4, characterised in that the tank (11) and its parts (12, 13) are connected with the tip in absorbent material (16) to form a single component with a lengthened axial conformation.

6. Portable tester, according to claim 1 , characterised in that a series of batteries (3), is housed inside the body or outer casing (1), together with the tank (11), with the electrolytic bonding solution, advantageously in two parallel lines.

7. Portable tester, according to any of the claims from 1 to 6, characterised in that the sensing electrode (5) may be removable or replaceable on the support head (6).

8. Portable tester, according to any of the claims from 1 to 6, characterised in that the sensing electrode (5) is axially mobile and with a spring, on the support head (6), to enable simultaneous contact of the two electrodes (5, 15) on the surface to be tested.