Abstract
The beam balance is one of the oldest known measuring instruments. Until the 20th century, balances had been the most sensitive and precise instruments used for scientific measurements. The original balances used a beam supported at the center with pans hung from cords on both ends. The modern electronic beam balances still resemble those original designs; however, the resolution, accuracy, and capabilities have been significantly improved. This review provides a short introduction to the history of beam balances followed by a detailed description of three gravimetric microbalances manufactured by Hiden Isochema for measuring gas and vapor sorption in a variety of materials.
Highlights
The invention of the beam balance most likely originated with the development of commerce and trade within the Neolithic era around 5000 B.C.1 The oldest artifacts of beam balances and weights, which were first used by the Egyptians, are from about 3300 B.C
Ehrhard Mettler began the commercialization of the single-pan weighing balance in 1947, which remained the standard until the development of electronic balances around 1970.3 a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: mark.b.shiflett@ku. edu Between 1981 and 1988, a UK Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) project funded the development of the first computer controlled gravimetric microbalance at the University of Birmingham
The initial concept was further refined and developed into the intelligent gravimetric analyzer (IGA) instrument which became commercially available from Hiden Analytical in 1992 and is described in detail in Sec
Summary
The invention of the beam balance most likely originated with the development of commerce and trade within the Neolithic era around 5000 B.C.1 The oldest artifacts of beam balances and weights, which were first used by the Egyptians, are from about 3300 B.C. Some of the technical improvements during this period included pan brakes, magnetic damping of beam oscillation, built-in weight sets operated by dial knobs, and microprojection reading of the angle of beam inclination.
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