PH SENSOR

Presented by:
Janrick Libradilla (Leader)
Eddelbert Hijara (Asst. Leader)
Anastacio Lumansang Jr. (Reporter)
Jeralyn Maglasang (Reporter)
John Scharwze Ibonalo (Q&A)
Jefferson Lavares (Q&A)
WHAT IS A PH METER?
o A pH meter is a scientific instrument that measures
the hydrogen-ion activity in water-based solutions,
indicating its acidity or alkalinity expressed as pH.

o The pH meter measures the difference in electrical

potential between a pH electrode and a reference
electrode, and so the pH meter is sometimes referred
to as a "potentiometric pH meter". The difference in
electrical potential relates to the acidity or pH of the
solution.

o The pH meter is used in many applications ranging

from laboratory experimentation to quality control.
A digital pH meter
HISTORY
The history of measuring the acidity of liquids
electrically began in 1906 when Max Cremer in his
studies of liquid interfaces (interactions between
liquids and solids) discovered that the interface
between liquids could be studied by blowing a thin
bubble of glass and placing one liquid inside it and
another outside. It created an electric potential that
could be measured. This idea was taken further by Fritz
Haber (who invented the synthesis of ammonia and
artificial fertiliser) and Zygmunt Klemsiewicz who
discovered that the glass bulb (which he named glass
electrode) could be used to measure hydrogen ion
activity and that this followed a logarithmic function.
Søren Peder Lauritz (S.P.L.) Sørensen
The Danish biochemist Soren Sorensen then invented
the pH scale in 1909.
INTRODUCTION
•A pH meter is an electronic used for
measuring the pH of a liquid. A typical pH
meter consists of special measuring probes or
sensor (a glass electrode and a reference
electrode) connected to an electronic meter
that measures and displays the pH reading.

Special note:
• Electrode – a solid electric conductor that carries electric current
into non-metallic solids, or liquids, or gases, etc.
• pH – a scale used to specify how acidic or basis a water-based
solution is.
WHAT DOES THE TERM “ PH “ MEAN?

The term pH is derived from “p” the mathematical symbol for negative
logarithm and “H”, the chemical symbol for Hydrogen.
PH MEASUREMENT
• A rough indication of pH can be obtained using pH papers or indicators,
which change color as the pH level varies. These indicators have limitations on
their accuracy, and can be difficult to interpret correctly in colored or murky
samples.

PH PAPERS/PH INDICATORS
• More accurate pH measurements are obtained with a pH meter. A pH
measurement system consists of three parts: a pH measuring measuring
electrode, a reference electrode, and a high input impedance meter.
TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION
Temperature compensation is contained within the instrument, because pH electrodes
and measurements are temperature sensitive. The temperature may be either manual
or automatic.
With manual compensation, a separate temperature measurement is required, and the
pH meter manual compensation control can be set with the approximate temperature
value.
With automatic temperature compensation (ATC), the signal from a separate
temperature probe is fed into the pH meter, so that it can accurately determined pH
value of the sample at that temperature.
BUFFER SOLUTIONS
Buffers are solutions that have constant pH values and the ability to resist
changes in that pH level. They are used to calibrate the pH measurement system
( electrode and meter ). There can be small differences between the output of
one electrode and another, as well as changes in the output of electrodes over
time. Therefore, the system must be periodically calibrated.
THE PH SCALE
pH stands for 'potential of Hydrogen' which measure the acidity or alkalinity of
water soluble substances. It is measured with a logarithmic scale known as pH.
In 1909, a Danish biochemist S.P.L Sorenson devised a scale pH to represents
the H+ ion concentration of an aqueous solution.
PARTS & FUNCTIONS Key parts of a pH meter:
(1) Solution being tested;
(2) Glass electrode, consisting of
(3) a thin layer of silica glass containing metal
salts, inside which there is a potassium chloride
solution
(4) and an internal electrode
(5) made from silver/silver chloride.
(6) Hydrogen ions formed in the test solution
interact with the outer surface of the glass.
(7) Hydrogen ions formed in the potassium
chloride solution interact with the inside surface
of the glass.
(8) The meter measures the difference in
voltage between the two sides of the glass and
converts this "potential difference" into a pH
reading.
(9) Reference electrode acts as a baseline or
reference for the measurement—or you can
think of it as simply completing the circuit.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The potassium chloride inside the glass electrode (shown here
colored orange) is a neutral solution with a pH of 7, so it
contains a certain amount of hydrogen ions (H+). Suppose
the unknown solution you're testing (blue) is much more acidic,
so it contains a lot more hydrogen ions. What the glass
electrode does is to measure the difference in pH between
the orange solution and the blue solution by measuring the
difference in the voltages their hydrogen ions produce. Since
we know the pH of the orange solution (7), we can figure out
the pH of the blue solution.
TYPES OF PH METER

DIGITAL PH METER OLD MODELED MANUAL PH METER

 TYPES OF PROBE

COMBINATION GEL
GLASS ELECTRODE REFERENCE ELECTRODE
ELECTRODE
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Potentiometric pH meters measure the voltage
between two electrodes and display the result
converted into the corresponding pH value.
They comprise a simple electronic amplifier
and a pair of electrodes, or alternatively a
combination electrode, and some form of
display calibrated in pH units. It usually has
a glass electrode and a reference electrode,
or a combination electrode. The electrodes, or
probes, are inserted into the solution to be
tested.
The design of the electrodes is the key part: These are rod-like structures usually
made of glass, with a bulb containing the sensor at the bottom. The glass
electrode for measuring the pH has a glass bulb specifically designed to be
selective to hydrogen-ion concentration. On immersion in the solution to be
tested, hydrogen ions in the test solution exchange for other positively charged
ions on the glass bulb, creating an electrochemical potential across the bulb. The
electronic amplifier detects the difference in electrical potential between the
two electrodes generated in the measurement and converts the potential
difference to pH units.
PH METER PRINCIPLE
• A pH meter is used to determine the acidity or alkalinity of the solution. pH is
the concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution. A solution containing more
H+ ions remains acidic while the solution containing more OH- ions remains
alkaline. pH value of solutions ranges from 1 to 14.

• pH electrode Solution having pH value 1 will be the highly acidic and with pH
value 14 will be highly basic. The acidity and alkalinity of any solution
depends upon the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) and hydroxyl ions (OH-
) respectively. A neutral solution as pure water has pH 7
PH METER PRINCIPLE
• pH meter is used to determine the pH of different solutions in pharmaceuticals.
It is more accurate method than the pH strip. A pH meter contains a pH probe
that passes the electrical signals to the pH meter and pH meter displays the
pH value of the solution.
• The glass pH probe contains two electrodes, a sensor electrode and a
reference electrode. These electrodes are in the form of glass tubes one
contains pH 7 buffer and other contains saturated potassium chloride solution.
The sensor electrode bulb is made up of porous glass or permeable glass
membrane coated with silica and metal salts. A silver wire coated with silver
chloride is immersed in pH 7 buffer in the bulb. Another silver wire coated
with silver chloride is immersed in the saturated potassium chloride solution in
reference electrode as shown in figure.
THE PH ELECTRODE
• When the probe is placed in a solution to measure the pH, hydrogen ions
accumulate around the bulb and replace the metal ions from the bulb. This
exchange of ions generates some electric flow that is captured by the silver
wire. The voltage of this electric flow is measured by the pH meter by
converting it into pH value by comparing the generated voltage with the
reference electrode.
• Increase in acidity of solution has greater concentration of hydrogen ions that
increases the voltage. This increased voltage decreases the pH reading in pH
meter. In the same manner an increase in alkalinity decreases the hydrogen
ions or increases in hydroxyl ions concentration also decrease the voltage and
increase the pH value in pH meter.
THE PH ELECTRODE

• Overall pH meter principle of pH sensor and pH meter depends upon the

exchange of ions from sample solution to inner solution (pH 7 buffer) of glass
electrode through the glass membrane. Porosity of the glass membrane
decreases with the continuous use that decreases the performance of the
probe.
 HOW TO CALIBRATE A PH METER?
Here is the general method for most pH meters.
• The temperature settings on the meter must correspond to the temperature of the
buffers used or an automatic temperature compensator must be employed.
• Turn pH meter to “pH” or “ATC” if automatic temperature compensation is used.
• Place clean electrode into fresh, room temperature pH 7.00 buffer.
• Adjust the pH reading to exactly 7.00 using the ZERO OFFSET, STANDARDIZED OR
SET knob.
• Rinse the electrode with distilled or deionized water.
MAINTENANCE
Because of the sensitivity of the electrodes to contaminants, cleanliness of the probes is
essential for accuracy and precision. Probes are generally kept moist when not in use
with a medium appropriate for the particular probe, which is typically an aqueous
solution available from probe manufacturers. Probe manufacturers provide instructions
for cleaning and maintaining their probe designs. For illustration, one maker of
laboratory-grade pH gives cleaning instructions for specific contaminants: general
cleaning (15-minute soak in a solution of bleach and detergent), salt (hydrochloric acid
solution followed by sodium hydroxide and water), grease (detergent or methanol),
clogged reference junction (KCl solution), protein deposits (pepsin and HCl, 1%
solution), and air bubbles.
 APPLICATIONS OF PH METER

1 • For the diagnosis of various disorders in human body

2 • Agriculture
3 • Brewing
4 • Corrosion Prevention
5 • Dyeing
6 • Jam and Jelly Manufacturing
7 • Printing
8 • Pharmaceuticals
ADVANTAGES OF USING PH METER

• Accuracy
- While pH meters are a little more difficult to use because they must be
calibrated and maintained, once they are properly calibrated, they measure
more accurately than a test strip or other method of pH measurement. The
number of hydrogen ions is quantified by the meter, which is essentially a
voltimeter and is a lot more sensitive than other methods.
ADVANTAGES OF USING PH METER

• Ease of Use
- Using a pH indicator can be messier than using a pH meter. Using a pH meter,
you can insert the probe into the liquid you are measuring. Using an indicator
requires you to remove an alloquot of liquid and place it into the measuring
device to which you add chemicals.
ADVANTAGES OF USING PH METER

• Calibration Controls
- Most meters come with the ability to calibrate the device. This is important when
conducting research and an accurate result needs to be obtained. If a device is not
calibrated correctly, then the result can be skewed. A device that is calibrated on a
regular schedule will be usable for years to come. One way to calibrate a pH meter is
dip the probe into a buffer solution of a known pH and press the calibration button.
The specific buffer pH is inputed into the machine. Consult the operating manual on the
specific model you are using for detailed instructions.
DISADVANTAGES OF USING PH METER

• One downside to using a pH meter is that the cost of the meter is significantly
higher than using test strips. The pH meter is a long-term investment for
gaining accurate results. For those who are going to be taking an occasional
reading, test strips may be a better option. Another disadvantage in using a
meter is that it needs to be cleaned regularly to avoid contamination. Most
probes have a glass tip that may break or become damaged if exposed to
corrosive chemicals. These are just a few considerations to think about before
making a substantial purchase of a pH meter.
REFERENCES

• "Beckman Coulter Product Milestones" (PDF). Beckman Coulter. Retrieved 5 April2017.

• "pH Measurement - pH Measuring Chains". Beuth publishing DIN. Beuth Verlag GmbH.
Retrieved 28 March 2017.
• "pH Measurement Handbook" (PDF). PragoLab. Thermo Scientific, Inc. Retrieved 22
March 2017.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PH_meter
THANK YOU & GOD BLESS
QUESTIONS:
1. How should I store my pH electrode?
Answer: pH electrodes have a glass bulb that needs to be kept hydrated. To ensure
longer life and more stable measurements, pH electrodes should be stored in electrode
storage solution. This helps to keep the bulb hydrated and minimise leakage from the
internal electrolyte solution. If you do not have any storage solution, pH 4 or 7 buffer
can be used
2. How can I clean my pH electrode?
Answer: For most water testing applications, simply rinsing with distilled water will
suffice. A mild detergent and tap water solution can also be used. There are also
electrode cleaning solutions available.
3. What items do I need to calibrate my pH meter?
Answer: To calibrate your pH meter you will need your pH meter, at least one buffer
solution, a clean dry beaker or cup and water for rinsing before and after calibration.