Milwaukee MA888 User manual

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MA888
Refractometer for EthyleneRefractometer for Ethylene
Refractometer for EthyleneRefractometer for Ethylene
Refractometer for Ethylene
Glycol MeasurementsGlycol Measurements
Glycol MeasurementsGlycol Measurements
Glycol Measurements
Milwaukee RefractometerMilwaukee Refractometer
Milwaukee RefractometerMilwaukee Refractometer
Milwaukee Refractometer
INSTRUCTION MANUAL

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Instruction Manual MA888 Refractometer for Ethylene Glycol Measurements
FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION ............................................................................. 3
GENERAL DESCRIPTION .................................................................................... 5
SPECIFICATIONS .............................................................................................. 6
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION ................................................................................ 6
MEASUREMENT UNITS ....................................................................................... 8
MEASUREMENT GUIDELINES .............................................................................. 8
CALIBRATION PROCEDURE ............................................................................... 9
MEASUREMENT PROCEDURE ........................................................................... 10
CHANGING MEASUREMENT UNIT ................................................................... 11
CHANGING TEMPERATURE UNIT ..................................................................... 12
MAKING A STANDARD SOLUTION ................................................................... 12
ERROR MESSAGES ........................................................................................... 13
BATTERY REPLACEMENT ................................................................................... 14
WARRANTY ..................................................................................................... 15
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Remove the instrument from the packing materials and examine carefully to
ensure no damage has occurred during shipping. If any damage has
occurred, notify your Dealer.
Each instrument is supplied with:
• 9 V battery
• Instruction manual
Note: Save all packing material until you are sure that the instrument
functions correctly. A defective instrument must be returned in its
original packing.

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FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
A. BATTERY STATUS ICON (BLINKS WHEN LOW BATTERY CONDITION DETECTED)
B. MEASUREMENT IN PROGRESS TAG
C. SETUP: FACTORY CALIBRATION TAG
D. CAL: CALIBRATION TAG
E. AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION
(BLINKS WHEN TEMPERATURE EXCEEDS 10-40 °C / 50-104 °F RANGE)
F. PRIMARY DISPLAY (DISPLAYS MEASUREMENT AND ERROR MESSAGES)
G. TEMPERATURE UNITS
H. SECONDARY DISPLAY (DISPLAYS TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS; WHEN BLINKING,
TEMPERATURE HAS EXCEEDED OPERATION RANGE: 0-80 °C / 32-176 °F)
I. RANGE INDICATOR
DISPLAYDISPLAY
DISPLAYDISPLAY
DISPLAY

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Instruction Manual MA888 Refractometer for Ethylene Glycol Measurements
I. BATTERY COVER
J. BATTERY COMPARTMENT
BOTTOMBOTTOM
BOTTOMBOTTOM
BOTTOM
A. LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD)
B. READ KEY (USER MEASUREMENT)
C. ZERO KEY (USER CALIBRATION)
D. RANGE KEY (USER MEASUREMENT UNIT)
E. ON/OFF
F. STAINLESS STEEL SAMPLE WELL AND PRISM
G. SECONDARY DISPLAY
H. PRIMARY DISPLAY
FRONT PANELFRONT PANEL
FRONT PANELFRONT PANEL
FRONT PANEL

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GENERAL DESCRIPTION
SIGNIFICANCE OF USE
Thank you for choosing Milwaukee. This instruction manual will provide you the
necessary information for correct use of the meter.
The MA888 is an optical instrument that employs the measurement of the refractive
index to determine the % volume and freezing point of ethylene glycol based coolants or
antifreeze. The digital refractometer eliminates the uncertainty associated with mechanical
refractometers and is easily portable for use in the field to optimize your cooling system.
The MA888 refractometer is an optical device that is simple and quick to use. Samples are
measured after a simple user calibration with distilled or deionized water. Within seconds,
the refractive index and temperature are measured and converted into one of two mea-
surement units; % Volume or Freezing Point. The instrument utilizes internationally recog-
nized references for unit conversion and temperature compensation for ethylene glycol
solutions (e.g. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 87th Edition).
The temperature (in °C or °F) is also displayed on the large dual level display along with
helpful message codes.
Key features include:
• Waterproof models offers IP65 waterproof protection
• Automatic Temperature Compensation (ATC)
• Battery operation with Low Power indicator
• Automatically turns off after 3 minutes of non-use.

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Instruction Manual MA888 Refractometer for Ethylene Glycol Measurements
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Light Source Yellow LED
Measurement Time Approximately 1.5 seconds
Minimum Sample Volume 100 μL (cover prism totally)
Sample Cell Stainless Steel ring and flint glass prism
Temperature Compensation Automatic between 0 and 40 °C (32 to 104 °F)
Case Material ABS
Enclosure Rating IP 65
Battery Type/Life 1 x 9 volt AA batteries / 5000 readings
Auto-Shut off After 3 minutes of non-use
Dimensions 19.2 x 10.2 x 6.7 cm (7.5 x 4 x 2.6")
Weight 420 g (14.8 oz.).
SPECIFICATIONS
emuloV%tnioPgnizeerF)F°(C°
:egnaR %001ot0)F°85-ot23(C°05-ot0)F°671ot23(C°08ot0
:noituloseR %1.0)F°1.0(C°1.0)F°1
.0(C°1.0
:ycaruccA %2.0±)F°0.1±(°5.0±)F°5.0±(C°3.0±
Ethylene Glycol determinations are made by measuring the refractive index of a solution.
Refractive Index is an optical characteristic of a substance and the number of dissolved
particles in it. Refractive Index is defined as the ratio of the speed of light in empty space
to the speed of light in the substance. A result of this property is that light will “bend”, or
change direction, when it travels through a substance of different refractive index. This is
called refraction.

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The critical angle can be used to easily calculate the refractive index according to the
equation:
sin (θcritical) = n2/ n1
Where n2is the refractive index of the lower-density medium; n1is the refractive index of
the higher-density medium.
In the MA888 refractometer, light from an LED passes through a prism in contact with the
sample. An image sensor determines the critical angle at which the light is no longer
refracted through the sample. Specialized algorithms then apply temperature
compensation to the measurement and convert the refractive index to: % Volume or
Freezing Point.
When passing from a material with a higher to lower refractive index, there is a critical
angle at which an incoming beam of light can no longer refract, but will instead be
reflected off the interface.

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Instruction Manual MA888 Refractometer for Ethylene Glycol Measurements
MEASUREMENT GUIDELINES
• Handle instrument carefully. Do not drop.
• Do not immerse instrument under water.
• Do not spray water to any part of instrument except the “sample well” located over the
prism.
• The instrument is intended to measure ethylene glycol solutions. Do not expose
instrument or prism to solvents that will damage it. This includes most organic solvents
and extremely hot or cold solutions.
• Particulate matter in a sample may scratch the prism. Absorb sample with a soft tissue
and rinse sample well with deionized or distilled water between samples.
• Use plastic pipettes to transfer all solutions. Do not use metallic tools such as needles,
spoons or tweezers as these will scratch the prism.
• Cover sample well with hand if measuring in direct sun.
MEASUREMENT UNITS
Freezing point is displayed as a temperature from 0.0 to -50.0 °C corresponding to
0-58 % by volume. The display blinks the freezing point when the concentration of
Ethylene glycol is greater than 78 % concentration by volume.
When the display shows “LO”, the freezing point is at a minimum (below -50 °C).

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CALIBRATION PROCEDURE
Calibration should be performed daily, before measurements are made, when the
battery has been replaced, between a long series of measurements, or if environmental
changes have occurred since the last calibration.
1. Press the ON/OFF key, then release. Two instrument test screens will be displayed
briefly; all LCD segments followed by the percentage of remaining battery life. The
meter will then briefly display an indication of the measurement unit set. When the
LCD displays dashes, the instrument is ready.
2. Using a plastic pipette, fill the sample well with distilled or deionized water. Make
sure the prism is completely covered.
Note: If the ZERO sample is subject to intense light such as sunlight or another strong
source, cover the sample well with your hand or other shade during the
calibration.
3. Press the ZERO key. If no
error messages appear, your
unit is calibrated.
(For a description of ERROR
MESSAGES see page 13).

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Instruction Manual MA888 Refractometer for Ethylene Glycol Measurements
MEASUREMENT PROCEDURE
Verify the instrument has been calibrated before taking measurements.
1. Wipe off prism surface located at the bottom of the sample well. Make sure the prism
and sample well are completely dry.
2. Using a plastic pipette, drip sample onto the prism surface. Fill the well completely.
Note: If the temperature of the sample differs significantly from the temperature of the
instrument, wait approximately 1 minute to allow thermal equilibration.
3. Press the READ key. The results are displayed as % Volume or Freezing Point.
Note: The 0.0 screen will remain until a sample is measured or the instrument is turned
off.
4. Gently absorb the ZERO water standard with a soft tissue. Use care not to scratch
the prism surface. Dry the surface completely. The instrument is
ready for sample measurement.
Note: If instrument is turned off the calibration will not be lost.