A flow-batch analyzer using a low cost aquarium pump for classification of citrus juice with respect to brand.

This paper proposes a novel flow-batch analyzer (FBA), which employs a compact, low-cost aquarium air pump as an alternative to a peristaltic pump. The feasibility of using this simple propulsion device is demonstrated in a case study involving the classification of citrus juice samples with respect to brand. For this purpose, UV-vis spectra and SIMCA (soft independent modelling of class analogies), PLS-DA (Partial Least Squares for Discriminant Analysis) and SPA-LDA (Linear Discriminant Analysis with variables selected by the Successive Projections Algorithm) are employed.

Digital image-based flame emission spectrometry.

A digital image-based flame emission spectrometric (DIB-FES) method for the quantitative chemical analysis is proposed here for the first time. The DIB-FES method employs a webcam to capture the digital images which are associated to a radiation emitted by the analyte into an air-butane flame. Since the detection by webcam is based on the RGB (red-green-blue) colour system, a novel mathematical model was developed in order to build DIB-FES analytical curves and estimate figures of merit for the proposed method.