Penetrometer
A penetrometer is used in agriculture , in gardening and landscaping , in sports and golf course maintenance, for soil and foundation reports (load-bearing capacity determinations) and to determine the needle penetration of bitumen and bituminous binders (DIN EN 1426: 2007-06) and is a Measuring equipment for determining the penetration resistance of one body into another. The term consists of the Latin stem penetrare (= penetrate, penetrate) and metiri (measure). The result is in kilograms (kg), newtons (N), pounds (Lb), or US ounces(oz) measured. In connection with the area of the penetration point (mandrel) used, this results in a value for the pressure in N per cm² at which the tested area or layer yields.
There are analog and digital penetrometers, handheld devices and automatic ohmmeters.
Fruit penetrometers are used in agriculture to determine the firmness of fruit. Firmness, starch and sugar are used to determine the maturity index.
Soil penetrometers are also used to determine the resistance to penetration and thus the density of a soil (again a measure to determine the load-bearing capacity and rootability). The display is in psi ( pound-force per square inch ). Penetrometers are also used in connection with soil and building material tests. They are also used as ram probes. In the Federal Republic of Germany , among other things, DIN 4094regulatesthe use of ramming probes for ground probing ( pressure probing,etc.).
In space research, automatic space probes (so-called penetrators ) are used that have penetrometers or are themselves a remote-controlled penetrometer. In 1973 the Soviet lunar mobile Lunochod 2 also had a penetrometer at the end of the vehicle, designed as an automatic, drill-like device with a conical punching tool as a central part. At the lower end of the cone, four blades were arranged in a cross shape. From time to time a special mechanism pressed the penetrometer into the regolith of the lunar surface and then slowly turned it around its longitudinal axis. The resistance that arises when pushing in and turning was constantly measured and transmitted to earth. On the basis of this measurement data, the mechanical properties of the regolith could be determined fairly precisely: density , strength , consistency , load-bearing capacity, etc. This in turn provides information about the way the soil was created and its geological development.
In pharmaceutical technology , a penetrometer is used to characterize the consistency of semi-solid substances and preparations (e.g. creams , ointments , or cream or ointment bases). The test is described in the European Pharmacopoeia : the penetrometer consists of a measuring device and a conical test body with specified dimensions. The latter is applied with the tip to the sample placed in a container under defined conditions and the penetration depth is measured after 5 seconds with the measuring device of the penetrometer. It is a measure of the consistency, ie the "softness" of the product.
Individual evidence
- ^ Margrit Höfer: To Dr. Nobody comes by Wilcke (article about the fruit harvest of Markendorfer Obst eG) in Märkische Oderzeitung, Frankfurter Stadtbote, September 19, 2008, page 13. This provides valuable information not only about the best harvest time, but also about the ripening process in the warehouse , in transport and distribution.
- ↑ Standard DIN 4094-2: 2003-05: Subsoil - Field investigations - Part 2: Drill hole drilling ( beuth.de ).
- ↑ Flug Revue: MONDMOBIL LUNOCHOD 2 ( Memento from June 21, 2009 in the Internet Archive ), October 1974 edition.
- ↑ European Pharmacopoeia 9th edition, basic work 2017, official German edition: 2.9.9 Checking the consistency by means of penetrometry . Deutscher Apotheker Verlag, 2017.