Replace Slow, Subjective Wet Titrations.
Quantify Complex Chemistry in Under 5 Minutes with Raman Spectroscopy.
Stop wasting hours on hazardous acid titrants, toxic indicator dyes, and visual endpoint guesswork. OndaVia’s Quantitative Raman Spectroscopy (QRS) delivers fingerprint-specific, digital concentration readouts using factory pre-calibrated microfluidic cartridges—cutting testing labor by 85% with zero hazardous waste.
The 4 Hidden Flaws of Manual Wet Chemistry
Wet titrations have been standard in industrial plant labs for a century, but modern process optimization demands speed, specificity, and safety that manual glassware cannot deliver.
👁️ Operator Subjectivity
Judging subtle visual color shifts (phenolphthalein, bromocresol green) introduces high technician-to-technician variability. Colored, cloudy, or hydrocarbon-stained plant fluids make endpoint detection pure guesswork.
🙈 Chemical Blindness
Titration measures bulk ion consumption, not molecular structure. It cannot separate active triazine from spent dithiazine, or distinguish protective filming amines from destructive tramp amines in crude.
☣️ Toxic Hazmat Waste
Burettes require corrosive acid titrants (HCl, H2SO4), flammable solvents, and heavy metal indicators. Plants generate thousands of liters of hazardous waste annually that require costly disposal manifests.
⏱️ Crushing Labor Bottlenecks
Sample preparation, standard standardization, triple titrations, and burette washing take 25 to 45 minutes per test. In fast-moving plant operations, chemical dosing decisions cannot wait for the lab.
The Modern Alternative: Quantitative Raman Spectroscopy (QRS)
Instead of measuring how much acid a liquid absorbs, OndaVia shines a low-power laser into a sealed optical cartridge. Every molecule scatters light at unique vibrational frequencies—creating a digital molecular "fingerprint." In under 5 minutes, an onboard spectrometer measures the exact peak intensity to deliver a true, speciated concentration reading with zero operator interpretation.
Head-to-Head: Manual Titration vs. OndaVia QRS
See how traditional wet chemistry compares across safety, precision, speed, and plant operations.
| Analytical Dimension | Manual Acid-Base Titration | Colorimetric Test Kits | OndaVia Raman (QRS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test Duration | 25 to 45 minutes | 10 to 20 minutes | Under 5 minutes on-site |
| Molecular Specificity | ✕ Blind to speciation (measures total base) | ✕ High cross-interference | ✓ Speciated molecular fingerprinting |
| Turbid / Dark Samples | ✕ Obscures color indicator endpoint | ✕ Severe optical interference | ✓ Unaffected by sample turbidity or color |
| Hazardous Reagent Waste | 100–250 mL toxic/acid waste per run | Single-use hazardous reagent vials | ✓ Zero liquid waste (sealed cartridge) |
| Calibration Requirements | Daily titrant standardization required | Periodic standard curves | ✓ Factory pre-calibrated cartridges |
| Operator Skill Level | Degreed chemist or trained analyst | General operator | ✓ Any shift technician (pushbutton) |
| Digital Data Integration | Manual logbook or LIMS entry | Manual notebook entry | ✓ Automated USB / Modbus / SCADA feed |
The Annual Cost Comparison: 10 Tests Per Day
Calculating true labor hours, reagent expenses, and hazardous waste disposal over 250 operating days.
• Reagents & Standards: $2,000/year in acids, glassware & titrants
• Hazmat Disposal: $6,000/year for liquid chemical waste manifests
• Hazmat Disposal: $0 (solid sealed cartridges)
• Net Labor & Compliance Savings: $65,300+ saved annually
Where OndaVia Replaces Wet Titration Today
Targeted chemical applications where plants have retired glassware in favor of Raman optical cartridges.
Choose Your Method Replacement Platform
Engineered for the lab bench, field mobile testing, or 24/7 continuous in-line automation.
OPAL-103 Portable Analysis System
- Weighs Under 2 Lbs: Deploy directly at the lab bench, sampling tap, or mobile field testing truck.
- Zero Maintenance Optics: Solid-state Raman spectrometer with no moving optical parts or liquid flow lines to clog.
- Pushbutton Software: Built-in touchscreen or laptop interface with automated concentration reporting and PDF export.
- Pre-Calibrated Cartridges: No titrant preparation, no standardized burettes, no hazardous acid handling.
ORCA-303 In-Line Process Unit
- Automated In-Line Titration Replacement: Draws process slipstream, doses micro-reagents, and scans optically every 15 minutes.
- Direct SCADA Feed: 4–20 mA and Modbus TCP/IP outputs feed real-time chemical concentrations directly to your DCS.
- Closed-Loop Pump Control: Eliminates human intervention by directly modulating chemical feed pumps based on real-time chemistry.
- Class I, Div 2 / ATEX Enclosures: Fully certified for refinery and gas processing battery limits.