| The Discrete Analyzer | | | | It is also useful to monitor production water for |
| Discrete analyzers are well known in clinical testing | | | | existing scale and corrosion inhibitors. These |
| laboratories. Recently these little work horses have | | | | colorimetric tests are easily adapted to discrete |
| found their way into environmental laboratories, but | | | | analyzers making it possible to analyze these |
| their full potential in the analysis of water samples has | | | | parameters at the same time and on the same |
| yet to be realized. Environmental labs have found use | | | | instrument used for scale and corrosion index testing. |
| for them in analyzing nutrients in wastewater and in | | | | Discrete analyzers can also check for trace metals. |
| relieving sample loads or reagent cost. | | | | Iron, manganese, chromium, nickel, etc. can all be |
| The Petroleum Industry | | | | determined, again in the same sample, on the same |
| Production water needs to be monitored for major | | | | instrument, and essentially at the same time. |
| cations and anions that are used as indicators of | | | | How the Discrete Analyzer Works |
| corrosion or scaling tendency. Normally these water | | | | Discrete analyzers are essentially automated manual |
| samples are collected and sent off to chemical supply | | | | spectrophotometers. The instrument pipets sample |
| company laboratories that use a variety of | | | | into reaction segments, adds reagent, and then |
| instruments and then calculate scaling or corrosion | | | | measures concentration versus pre-stored calibration |
| tendency indexes. A discrete analyzer makes it | | | | curves. A huge advantage to discrete analyzers is |
| possible to analyze all important ions used in the | | | | they use very little reagent and/or sample and |
| scaling and corrosion index. | | | | almost the entire process is computer controlled. |