Variable volume piezometer for measurement of volumetric properties of materials under high pressure

Abstract

A piezometer was designed to measure volume change of foods and other biomaterials as a function of pressure, and calibrated and tested up to 700 MPa at 25°C. The sensor was constructed from a polycarbonate tube, sealed with a plug on one end and a removable piston on the other. Samples were placed inside the tube. Upon pressurization, the piston displaced inside the tube, transmitting pressure to the sample; impedance in a magnet wire coil on the outside of the tube was measured to characterize volume change. Sensor calibration with water yielded a polynomial that characterized volume as a function of impedance. Sensor precision is 0.3% of measured volume; its resolution allows measurement of sub-microliter volume changes. Testing with ethanol and sucrose solutions yielded data within 1% of previously reported values. The sensor's applications include measurement of volumetric properties of liquid and solid biomaterials, and chemical reaction volumes.