How Many Types of Conductivity Meters?

1. What is Conductivity?

Conductivity refers to the amount of electric current or charges present in a material. This material can be either liquid or solid. Conductivity can also mean the ability of a substance to conduct electricity, and this ability is considered the conductance of the object. Measuring the conductivity of a material is a process that many industries deem important as it helps determine certain characteristics of the object. However, the most common characteristic that warrants conductivity measurement is the quality of the material. Quality inspectors use conductivity to easily determine the presence of anomalies within a material or the presence of certain unwanted elements within the content of a water sample. 

2. What is a Conductivity Meter for Water?

Measuring the conductivity of water is critical for certain industries, especially the health industry and water treatment plants, where conductivity is used to assess the quality of water. This quality is termed the portability of water which defines the level of safety for consuming the water. The conductivity of water is measured in various ways depending on if it’s in the field or the laboratory. But here is the thing. Conductivity meters have been the most popular of all devices and methods used in the industry for measuring conductivity in water. The conductivity meter measures the amount of charge present in a sample of water using a probe with four electrodes attached to the conductivity meter. You will need to insert the probes in the water and then apply current from the conductivity meter to the electrodes in the probe. Reading the voltage on the meter will indicate a drop in voltage between the two inner electrodes and the two external ones. With the aid of ohm’s law and the measured distance between the electrodes, the meter can then calculate the conductivity of the water sample. Still, it is important to note that the conductivity measurement of water can be affected by temperature, which is why many manufacturers design conductivity meters to take readings at 25 degrees Celsius, which is more accurate. 

3. What is Conductivity Meter for Metal?

While a conductivity meter is basically for checking the ability of a metal to conduct and transmit electric charge, using it to determine other parameters in a metallic material is common. A conductivity test is often carried out in most non-destructive testing procedures for ferrous and non-ferrous metals to ascertain certain metallic characteristics and properties. Such properties as strength differences where there has been heating treatment on alloys and homogeneity confirmation for components of alloys. Using the conductivity meter is an easy and quick procedure to ascertain these metals’ conductivity and other properties. Since metal contains atoms in a symmetrical pattern, the presence of a defect or foreign inclusion can significantly change its conductivity. Hence, a conductivity meter is often used to detect flaws within the internal structure of a metallic material. Measuring the conductivity of your metallic material with a conductivity meter requires that you place the probe on the surface of the metallic material. The meter takes the reading of the drop in voltage after passing an electric current to the electrodes in the probe. 

Conclusion + NDT-KITS introduction

In conclusion, a conductivity meter is an effective tool to determine the ability of a metal or a water sample to transmit electricity and to detect the presence of defects or impurities in these materials. However, an inspector should be aware of certain impeding factors like temperature that can affect the conductivity meter’s reading accuracy. 

NDT-KITS is a reliable Chinese supplier of quality and very affordable electrical conductivity meters. With extensive industry experience and a portfolio of innovative NDT (Non-destructive testing) solutions, NDT-KITS offers some of the best industry-certified conductivity meters to meet your requirements as well as your inspection objectives. A client base of satisfied customers and partners spread across the globe tells the NDT-KITS story.