7.2. Determining Proper Test Temperature
If the moisture of the sample material is known, as determined by a reference method, the MAX 5000XL's temperature can be adjusted until test results correlate with the established moisture concentration. If the moisture is not known, prepare a moisture versus temperature curve to decide the proper test temperature for a particular sample.
An appropriate curve can be prepared by testing sample material at increasing temperatures of
The starting temperature is usually the standard or reference method temperature for that particular sample. Results for each increasing temperature will usually rise to a plateau where several temperature increases do not change the results significantly. Beyond this plateau, results can rise dramatically. Examination of a sample, tested at these increased temperatures, may show burning or charring.
Results along the plateau usually correlate well with the standard or reference method results. Repeated testing should be done at temperatures in this range. Several tests are performed using the same sample size and test parameters. Results from these repeated tests are tabulated to calculate the mean, or average, and the standard deviation (S.D.). Analysis of the mean and standard deviation, and their comparison with reference method results, determines if the proper test temperature has been used. If mean values do not compare well, or if the standard deviation is too large, test at another temperature along the plateau.
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