Polymer total dissolved solids vessel
A thin film vessel useable in gravimetric methods for measuring the total dissolved solids or total solids in a liquid sample, or the moisture content of a solid sample. The vessel includes a main body formed of a thin walled polymeric material having a melting temperature greater than 180° C. The main body comprises an open top edge and a sealed bottom edge which define an inner cavity configured to hold a volume of liquid, and indicia applied to a portion of the main body, wherein the indicia include a tare weight of the vessel.
1. A method for testing total dissolved solids in a liquid sample, the method comprising:
placing a volume of liquid into a testing vessel, wherein the testing vessel comprises:
a main body comprising an open top end and a sealed bottom end to define an inner cavity configured to hold a volume of liquid, wherein the main body comprises a thin walled polymeric material having a melting temperature greater than 180° C.; and
an indicia applied to a portion of the main body indicating a tare weight of the testing vessel, wherein the tare weight of the testing vessel comprises a weight of the testing vessel measured after at least one preconditioning step, wherein the at least one preconditioning step comprises heating the testing vessel to at least 180° C. for a first length of time,
heating the testing vessel containing the liquid sample for a time sufficient to evaporate the volume of liquid;
heating the testing vessel at 180° C. for a second length of time and weighing the testing vessel; and
repeating the step of heating the testing vessel at 180° C. for the second length of time and weighing the testing vessel until a subsequently recorded weight of the testing vessel varies by less than 0.5 mg from a previously recorded weight.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second length of time comprise a time of one hour.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first length of time comprises a time of at least one hour.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the volume of liquid comprises a volume of less than 150 ml.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weight of the testing vessel comprises a weight of between 0.5 grams and 5.0 grams.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material comprises nylon, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, or a combination thereof.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wall thickness of the thin walled polymeric material is less than 0.008 inches.
8. A method of producing a vessel useful for gravimetric testing, the method comprising:
performing at least one preconditioning step on the vessel, wherein the at least one preconditioning step comprises heating the vessel to at least 180° C. for a specified time and weighing the vessel to obtain a tare weight of the vessel, wherein the vessel comprises:
a main body having an open top end and a sealed bottom end to define an inner cavity configured to hold a volume of liquid, wherein the main body comprises a thin walled polymeric material having a melting temperature greater than 180° C.; and
applying an indicia to a portion of the main body of the vessel, wherein the indicia include the tare weight of the vessel.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
repeating the preconditioning step until subsequent recorded weights of the vessel vary by less than 0.5 mg.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the tare weight of the vessel comprises a weight of between 0.5 grams and 5.0 grams.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the vessel has a wall thickness of less than 0.008 inches.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein a value of the tare weight may be subtracted from a value of the subsequently recorded weight to determine a weight of the total dissolved solids in the volume of liquid.
13. A method of producing a vessel useful for gravimetric testing, the method comprising:
performing a preconditioning step on the vessel, wherein the preconditioning step comprises heating the vessel to at least 180° C. for a specified time and weighing the vessel, wherein the vessel comprises:
a main body having an open top end and a sealed bottom end to define an inner cavity configured to hold a volume of liquid, wherein the main body comprises a thin walled polymeric material having a melting temperature greater than 180° C.;
repeating the preconditioning step until a subsequently recorded weight of the vessel varies by less than 0.5 mg from a previously recorded weight, wherein the subsequently recorded weight of the vessel is a tare weight of the vessel; and
applying an indicia to a portion of the main body of the vessel, wherein the indicia include the tare weight of the vessel.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the tare weight of the vessel is a weight of 0.5 grams to 5.0 grams.