Are Macro Sample Weights at Macro Costs Still Viable Today?

Today, the question of speed and cost efficiency seems more relevant than ever in light of our need to conserve resources. The DUMATHERM^® nitrogen analysis device, produced by C. Gerhardt GmbH & Co. KG, in Königswinter, Germany and operated according to the Dumas method, shows that these challenges need no longer be irreconcilable. Combustion catalysts without chrome constituents, non-toxic absorbents for water and carbon dioxide, as well as chemical-free solutions for the separation of carbon dioxide from the analytical gas stream, demonstrate this fact conclusively. If we are then able to use micro sample weights in place of gram weights on the basis of intelligent analytical technology, we can consequently view the combustion analysis in a new light, as it becomes a real alternative to both secondary methods and the Kjeldahl reference method. This article aims to establish whether gram sample weights are still viable today, or whether intelligent detection technology paired with efficient equipment design render gram weights redundant. Flour and soybean are taken as sample matrices.