DZHAN DZ3500A Carbon Black Content Analyzer

Overview

The DZHAN DZ3500A Carbon Black Content Analyzer is a dedicated thermogravimetric instrument engineered for precise quantification of carbon black loading in polymer-based materials. It operates on the ASTM D1606 and ISO 6964 standard principle: a pre-weighed sample is pyrolyzed under high-purity nitrogen at elevated temperatures (up to 990 °C), volatilizing organic polymer matrix while retaining carbon black and inorganic ash. Subsequently, oxygen is introduced to combust the residual carbon black; the mass loss during this oxidation step corresponds directly to the carbon black content. The remaining residue represents inorganic ash—enabling simultaneous determination of both carbon black and ash fractions in a single automated run. Designed with modular architecture—separating furnace chamber from main control unit—the DZ3500A ensures rapid thermal dissipation, reducing cycle time between consecutive analyses and enhancing laboratory throughput.

Key Features

• Modular furnace–controller design improves heat management and enables faster cooldown (≤30 min from 950 °C to 100 °C), minimizing downtime between samples.
• Intelligent programmable temperature control supports up to 8-segment heating profiles, allowing optimization for diverse polymer matrices (e.g., PE, PP, EPR, XLPE) and avoiding premature charring or incomplete decomposition.
• 7-inch full-color TFT touchscreen interface provides real-time graphical display of temperature ramp, gas flow status, mass change curve, and endpoint detection—eliminating external PC dependency for routine operation.
• Integrated dual-gas manifold with independently adjustable mass flow controllers (0–200 mL/min for N₂ purge; 0–2 L/min for O₂ combustion) ensures stable atmosphere switching and reproducible oxidation kinetics.
• High-stability microbalance with 0.1 mg resolution and active drift compensation delivers consistent gravimetric accuracy across extended runs (typical RSD < 0.8% for triplicate 1.0 g PE samples).
• One-touch analysis workflow automates sequence execution (purge → pyrolysis → O₂ switch → combustion → cooling → report generation), reducing operator intervention and inter-user variability.

Sample Compatibility & Compliance

The DZ3500A is validated for use with wire & cable insulation (e.g., HDPE, LDPE, XLPE), jacketing compounds, plastic pipes (PVC, PP-R), masterbatches, color concentrates, and rubber compounds containing 1–40 wt% carbon black. Sample forms include granules, pellets, thin films (≤2 mm thickness), and molded plaques (max. 15 mm diameter). All operational parameters align with ASTM D1606-21 (“Standard Test Method for Carbon Black Content of Polyethylene Compounds”), ISO 6964:2020 (“Plastics — Polyolefins — Determination of carbon black content”), and GB/T 13021–2022 (Chinese national standard). The system supports GLP-compliant data integrity via timestamped audit trails, user-level access control, and non-erasable result storage—fully traceable for internal QA audits or regulatory submissions.

Software & Data Management

While standalone operation is fully functional via the embedded OS, optional DZHAN TGA-Link software (Windows-compatible) enables advanced data export (CSV, PDF, XML), comparative overlay of multiple TGA curves, derivative (DTG) analysis, and customizable reporting templates. Raw mass–temperature–time datasets are stored with metadata (operator ID, sample ID, method name, gas flow logs, calibration timestamps). All electronic records comply with FDA 21 CFR Part 11 requirements when used with enabled digital signature and role-based permissions—suitable for regulated environments requiring full data lifecycle governance.

Applications

• Quality control of carbon black–filled polyethylene used in underground power cables and fiber-optic cable sheaths.
• Verification of pigment dispersion uniformity in masterbatch production prior to extrusion.
• R&D screening of novel conductive composites where carbon black loading critically affects volume resistivity.
• Regulatory compliance testing for RoHS-exempted polymer components requiring documented carbon black specification.
• Failure analysis of insulation degradation where carbon black depletion correlates with UV/thermal aging performance loss.

FAQ

What standards does the DZ3500A support for carbon black quantification?
ASTM D1606, ISO 6964, GB/T 13021, and IEC 60811-401 for electric cable materials.
Can the instrument measure ash content independently of carbon black?
Yes—the final residue after oxygen combustion is reported as ash content; total inorganic filler (e.g., CaCO₃, talc) is included unless pre-treated to remove volatiles.
Is calibration required before each test?
No—factory-calibrated high-precision load cell and thermocouple eliminate daily recalibration; annual verification using certified reference materials (e.g., NIST SRM 345a) is recommended.
What sample preparation is needed?
Samples must be dried to constant weight (per ASTM D6980), cut into ≤3 mm fragments or ground to pass through 20-mesh sieve, and weighed to ±0.1 mg accuracy.
Does the system support network connectivity for lab-wide data integration?
Optional Ethernet module enables integration with LIMS via TCP/IP or Modbus TCP; raw data export supports direct ingestion into statistical process control (SPC) platforms.