Premium
Comparison of a Laboratory and Commercial Block Digester for Plant Analysis
Author(s) -
Prasad M.,
Spiers T. M.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1978.03615995004200040026x
Subject(s) - autoanalyzer , digestion (alchemy) , block (permutation group theory) , chemistry , pulp and paper industry , mathematics , chromatography , analytical chemistry (journal) , engineering , geometry
The design of a block digester fabricated in the laboratory is presented. The digester was capable of attaining 380°C in about 1 hour. Variation of temperature in different parts of the block was about 2°C greater compared to the Technicon block digester (BD‐40) at 328°C. Nitrogen, P, and K, and Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu values from either block were in good agreement for all crops studied using H 2 SO 4 + Se digestion, and HNO 3 + HCIO 4 digestion. Precision was good from both blocks using either digestion method although the Technicon block generally gave a slightly higher precision for HNO 3 + HCIO 4 digestion. In addition, when one sample was placed in six or eight different positions on the block for the H 2 SO 4 digestion in order to maximize differences between replicates, a slightly higher C. V. was recorded with our digester. The construction cost of the latter which has a somewhat smaller capacity and no automation was only about 20% of the purchase price of the Technicon digester.