Common Sense of Refractometer

A refractometer, also called a refractometer, is an instrument that uses light to measure the concentration of a liquid, and is used to determine the refractive index, birefringence, and optical properties. Refractometer can be divided into handheld refractometer, sugar refractometer, honey refractometer, gemstone refractometer, digital display refractometer, automatic lensmeter and online refractometer.

Significance of refractive index measurement by refractometer
Refractive index is a physical property of matter. It is a commonly used process control index in food production. Measuring the refractive index of liquid food by refractometer can identify the composition of the food, determine the concentration of the food, and determine the purity and quality of the food.

The refractive index of sucrose solution increases with increasing concentration. The refractive index of the digital gem refractometer can determine the concentration of sugar solution and the sugar content of foods such as beverages and canned syrup. The refractometer can also measure the content of soluble solids in juice, honey and other foods with sugar as the main component.

Various oils and fats are composed of certain fatty acids, and each fatty acid has its own specific refractive index. When the number of carbon atoms is the same, the refractive index of unsaturated fatty acids is much larger than that of saturated fatty acids; the molecular weight of unsaturated fatty acids is larger,and the refractive index is greater; the refractive index of oils with high acidity is low. Therefore, the refractive index of the refractometer can be used to identify the composition and quality of the oil.

Under normal circumstances, the refractive index of certain liquid foods has a certain range, such as the refractive index of normal cow's milk whey is between 1.34199 and 1.34275. When the quality of these liquid foods changes due to doping, concentration changes, or variety changes, the refractive index often changes. Therefore, the refractive index can be determined by refractometer to determine whether some foods are normal. If the milk is mixed with water, the refractive index of the whey decreases, so the refractive index of the milk can be used to understand the content of lactose and determine whether the milk is mixed with water.