PCE Instruments PCE-SG Users guide

© PCE Instruments

Refractometer PCE-010 / PCE-018 / PCE-032 / PCE-4582 / PCE-5890 / PCE-Oe / PCE-SG / PCE-ALK

/ PCE-0100

User Manual

User manuals in various languages (français,

italiano, español, português, nederlands, türk, polski,

русский, 中文) can be found by using our

product search on: www.pce-instruments.com

Last change: 25 February 2022

v1.0

English

Contents

1 Safety notes ........................................................................................... 1

2 Operation ............................................................................................... 2

3 Technical data ....................................................................................... 2

4 Scope of delivery .................................................................................. 3

5 Evaluation .............................................................................................. 3

6 Calibration ............................................................................................. 5

7 Contact ................................................................................................. 5

8 Disposal ................................................................................................. 5

© PCE Instruments

© PCE Instruments

1

1 Safety notes

Please read this manual carefully and completely before you use the device for the first time. The
device may only be used by qualified personnel and repaired by PCE Instruments personnel.
Damage or injuries caused by non-observance of the manual are excluded from our liability and
not covered by our warranty.

• The device must only be used as described in this instruction manual. If used otherwise,
this can cause dangerous situations for the user and damage to the meter.

• The instrument may only be used if the environmental conditions (temperature, relative

humidity, …) are within the ranges stated in the technical specifications. Do not expose

the device to extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, extreme humidity or moisture.

• Do not expose the device to shocks or strong vibrations.

• The case should only be opened by qualified PCE Instruments personnel.

• Never use the instrument when your hands are wet.

• You must not make any technical changes to the device.

• The appliance should only be cleaned with a damp cloth. Use only pH-neutral cleaner,

no abrasives or solvents.

• The device must only be used with accessories from PCE Instruments or equivalent.

• Before each use, inspect the case for visible damage. If any damage is visible, do not

use the device.

• Do not use the instrument in explosive atmospheres.

• The measurement range as stated in the specifications must not be exceeded under

any circumstances.

• Non-observance of the safety notes can cause damage to the device and injuries to
the user.

We do not assume liability for printing errors or any other mistakes in this manual.
We expressly point to our general guarantee terms which can be found in our general terms of

business.
If you have any questions please contact PCE Instruments. The contact details can be found at

the end of this manual.

© PCE Instruments

2

2 Operation

At the beginning of the measuring procedure, carefully clean the hinged lid and the prism and
then dry them. Now place 1-2 drops of the sample on the prism. When closing the hinged lid,
the sample is evenly distributed between the lid and the prism. To put the sample on the main
prism, you can use the pipette. Make sure that no air bubbles form as this would negatively
affect the measurement result. By moving the hinged lid slightly, the sample liquid can be
distributed evenly. Now hold the refractometer against bright daylight. You can now see the
scale through the eyepiece. The value is read between the light / dark border. By turning the
eyepiece, you can focus the scale if necessary. To prevent deposits from forming on the prism
and the lid, the device should be carefully cleaned and dried after each measuring process.

Refractometers work according to the principle of light refraction. With these devices, you can
easily and accurately determine the concentration of e. g. starch, glues, adhesives..., the mixing

ratio of liquid media and the sugar content of milk, juice, wine.... Thus, the devices can be used

in many industries as a quick measuring instrument in production and laboratories. All models
have automatic temperature compensation (ATC).

• Simply coat the prism with the liquid to be measured.

• Read the concentration value on the optical scale.

• Automatic temperature compensation ATC

• Robust metal housing

• Supplied with pipette, screwdriver, case

3 Technical data

Models

PCE-010

PCE-018

PCE-032

PCE-4582
PCE-5890

PCE-Oe

Meas.
range

0 ... 10 % Brix

0 ... 18 % Brix

0 ... 32 % Brix

45 ... 82 % Brix
58 ... 90 % Brix

0 ... 140 °
Oechsle

Accuracy

0.1 %

0.1 %

0.2 %

0.5 %

2 ° Oe
Resolution

0.1 %

0.1 %

0.2 %

0.5 %

2 ° Oe

Applicatio
ns

Fruit, juices,
oils, cutting
compounds,
lubricants

Fruit juices,
soft drinks,
beer, mixed
drinks

Emulsions,
starches,
glues,
mulled wines

Viscous juices,
condensed milk,
jams

Wines
Temperatu

re comp..

10 ... 30 °C

10 ... 30 °C

10 ... 30 °C

10 ... 30 °C

10 ... 30 °C

Display

Dimension
s

200 x ∅29mm

200 x ∅29mm

172 x ∅29mm

147 x ∅29mm

172 x ∅29mm
Weight

280g

280g

260g

240g

260g

© PCE Instruments

3

4 Scope of delivery

Refractometer, pipette, adjusting screwdriver, care cloth, instructions, case

5 Evaluation

Evaluation of the alcohol content in must by refractometry

With the refractometer, you can indirectly determine the potential alcohol content by determining
the sugar content of the must.

The higher the sugar content of a must, the higher its density. This means that the light beam
has a slower velocity and endures a deviation. This deviation depends on the sugar
concentration and other soluble substances, so that the higher the concentration, the greater
the deviation of the incident light beam and vice versa. The refractometer allows to check the
relationship between the refractive index and the sugar concentration in different units of
measure by the correct use of graduated scales. The main unit of measurement displayed on
the refractometer is Brix (º Brix) or per cent in sucrose. You have to take into account that the
temperature has an influence on the sample. Therefore, you have to use a temperature
correction to be able to measure under regular temperature, the European standard is 20 ºC.
Our refractometers do not need a temperature correction because they include an automatic
temperature compensation and all values are measured below 20 ºC.

Models

PCE-0100

PCE-ALK

PCE-SG

Meas.
range

0 ... 100 % salt
content

0 ... 80 % vol.

0 °C ... 50 °C coolant / antifreeze
0 °C ... -40 °C cleaning agent

1.15 - 1.30 SG battery acid content

Accuracy

0.001

1 %

± 5 °C antifreeze
± 5 °C detergent
± 0.01 SG battery acid content

Resolutio
n

0.001 %

1 % ( 0 ... 60 % vol.)
2% ( 60 ... 80 vol.)

5 °C antifreeze
5 °C detergent

0.01 SG battery acid content

Applicatio
ns

Salinity

Alcoholic beverages

Lubricants, coolants, antifreeze,
cleaning agents, battery acid content

Temperat
ure
comp..

10 ... 30 °C

10 ... 30 °C

10 ... 30 °C

Display

Dimensio
ns

200 x ∅29mm

203 x ∅29mm

157 x ∅29mm
Weight

300g

280g

230g

© PCE Instruments

4

Before you use the device, it must be calibrated. The sample must be prepared by filtering the
must. The first drops are discarded (to use our refractometers, the temperature of the sample
must be within a range of 20 ... 30 ºC and must never exceed 30 ºC). Now place 1 - 2 drops of
the sample on the prism. By moving the hinged lid slightly, the sample liquid can be distributed
evenly. Two measurements should be made.

After having the result in Brix (per cent in sucrose), you can calculate the alcohol content with
the help of a formula (valid for the range 15 ... 25 Brix):

% vol = (0.6757 x ºBrix) - 2.0839

or you can use the chart below, especially when the range is exceeded.

EXAMPLE:

With our refractometer, we measured a sample with a sugar concentration of 24.2 º Brix. If we
do not have any charts and want to determine the alcohol content, we have to apply the
formula:

% vol = (0.6757 x 24.2º) - 2.0839= 16.35 - 2.0839 = 14.31 % vol

If we have charts, we can look for the reading 24.2º in the first column and get the
corresponding value of alcohol content in the last column. In our example for 24.2º Brix, the
alcohol content is 14.28 % vol.

6 Calibration

Before calibration, carefully clean and dry the instrument. Now add 1-2 drops of distilled water to
the prism. If the light / dark limit is not at 0 % (water line), this must be adjusted via the calibration
screw under the rubber cover, using the screwdriver supplied. The PCE-4582 and PCE 5890
cannot be calibrated with distilled water, a sample solution with a known sugar content (e. g. 70
% sugar solution) should be used.

Note:
Instruments are already calibrated at the factory.

Important notes:

• The hinged lid and the prism should be kept clean at all costs; dirt will impair the
measuring accuracy.

• Avoid scratches on the prism and the hinged lid, this also has a negative influence on
the measurement.

• Do not use any sharp, aggressive cleaning agents for cleaning but only a damp cloth.
Dry the meter well afterwards.

• Clean the instrument only with a damp cloth, never under water, as this could penetrate
the instrument.

• Prevent shocks and impacts as this can destroy the optics

• Store the instrument in a dry place.

7 Contact

If you have any questions, suggestions or technical problems, please do not hesitate to contact

us. You will find the relevant contact information at the end of this user manual.

8 Disposal

For the disposal of batteries in the EU, the 2006/66/EC directive of the European Parliament
applies. Due to the contained pollutants, batteries must not be disposed of as household waste.
They must be given to collection points designed for that purpose.

In order to comply with the EU directive 2012/19/EU we take our devices back. We either re-use
them or give them to a recycling company which disposes of the devices in line with law.

For countries outside the EU, batteries and devices should be disposed of in accordance with
your local waste regulations.

If you have any questions, please contact PCE Instruments.

© PCE Instruments

5

© PCE Instruments

6

PCE Instruments contact information

Germany France Spain

PCE Deutschland GmbH PCE Instruments France EURL PCE Ibérica S.L.
Im Langel 26 23, rue de Strasbourg Calle Mayor, 53
D-59872 Meschede 67250 Soultz-Sous-Forets 02500 Tobarra (Albacete)
Deutschland France España
Tel.: [phone] Téléphone: [phone] Tel. : [phone]
Fax: [phone] Numéro de fax: [phone] Fax: [phone]
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail]
www.pce-instruments.com/deutsch www.pce-instruments.com/french www.pce-instruments.com/espanol

United Kingdom Italy Turkey

PCE Instruments UK Ltd PCE Italia s.r.l. PCE Teknik Cihazları Ltd.Şti.
Unit 11 Southpoint Business Park Via Pesciatina 878 / B-Interno 6 Halkalı Merkez Mah.
Ensign Way, Southampton 55010 Loc. Gragnano Pehlivan Sok. No.6/C
Hampshire Capannori (Lucca) 34303 Küçükçekmece - İstanbul
United Kingdom, SO31 4RF Italia Türkiye
Tel: [phone] Telefono: [phone] Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone] Fax: [phone] Faks: 0212 705 53 93
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail]
www.pce-instruments.com/english www.pce-instruments.com/italiano www.pce-instruments.com/turkish

The Netherlands United States of America

PCE Brookhuis B.V. PCE Americas Inc.
Institutenweg 15 1201 Jupiter Park Drive, Suite 8
7521 PH Enschede Jupiter / Palm Beach
Nederland 33458 FL
Telefoon: [phone] USA
[e-mail] Tel: [phone]
www.pce-instruments.com/dutch Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
www.pce-instruments.com/us