Refractometry

Theory & Principle

Instrumentation
Applications
Disadvantages
 Theory
Refractometry
 Measurement technique to determine the
extent to which light is bent (i.e. refracted)
when it moves from air into a sample.
 Typically is used to determine the index of
refraction (refractive index or n) of a
liquid sample.
 Theory

Refractive Index (n)

 Relative speed which light moves through a
material, with respect to it’s speed in a vacuum
 Light moves more slowly through any other
medium since it is constantly being absorbed
and reemitted by the atoms in the material.

Refractive Index (n) Speed of light in vacuum

=
of substance Speed of light in substance
 Light changes speed as it crosses a boundary from
one medium into another, and it is refracted

 The relationship between

light's speed in the two
mediums (vA and vB), the
angles of incidence (θA) and
refraction (θB) and the
refractive indexes of the two
mediums (nA and nB) :

vA sin θA nA
= =
vB sin θB nB
 To determine the refractive index of the
sample accurately, we have to measure the
angle of refraction and knowing the index of
refraction of the layer that is in contact with
sample.
Instrumentation - Refractometer

Principle
 Measures the refractive index of a solution
when light is passed through a solution.
 The degree of light bending by the solution is
related to the sugar concentration or
quantity of soluble solids present in the
solution.
 Consequently, more bending or increase in the
refractive index indicates higher sugar levels.
Instrumentation - Refractometer

Types of Refractometer
 Hand-held –‘on-the-spot’ measurement
 Bench – laboratories and process
 Abbe Refractometers
 Automatic Digital Refractometers
 ‘In-line’ – monitoring and control in
manufacturing processes
Hand-held Refractometer

Automatic Digital Refractometer

 Applications - General

 Help identify or confirm the identity of a

sample by comparing its refractive index to
known values.
 Assess the purity of a sample by comparing
its refractive index to the value for the pure
substance.
 Determine the concentration of a solute in
a solution by comparing the solution's
refractive index to a standard curve.
 Applications – Determination of
Sugar Concentration
°Brix Scale
 The scale observed through the refractometer
converts the refractive index to a sugar
concentration.
 Sugar concentration is measured in °Brix.
 Developed by Adolf Brix in 1854.
 Each °Brix is equivalent to 1 gram of sugar
per 100 grams of liquid (% weight/weight).
 Applications – Determination of
Total Soluble Solids
 The °Brix also measures the concentration of
soluble solid content (%) of a sample
(aqueous solution).
 i.e. the sum of all the solids dissolved in the
water (sugar, salt, proteins, acids, etc.); the
measurement result is their sum in the sample.
 Therefore, °Brix is also the ratio of Total
Soluble Solids (TSS) to water in solution.
Schematic Diagram of Hand-held Refractometer used
to Determine Sugar Concentration
 See virtual lab

View Through Refractometer

 Determination of
Syrup Strength
%
32
30
• Place some of the 28
26
packing medium on 24
22
20
the refractometer 18
16
Eyepiece
prism 12
14

10
• Close prism lid 8
6
4
• Read scale in % 2

sugar at line 0

between light and

dark areas. Record.
Example of Standard Concentration of Food
 Disadvantages

 Very sensitive to temperature – because the

RI of the substance
 The presence of bubble in the sample will
give the incorrect result
 Hand-held – limited range of °Brix scale
in each.