Applications

Although the ceramic ultrasonic and thermal sensors of Arenal PCS can be applied in any liquid in the world, it is mainly designed for abrasive slurries and pastes, which can be found in Mineral and Metal processing plants, dredging and tunneling. Arenal is actively involved in industrial slurries, like in CMP, pigment and catalysts slurries and battery pastes and potato starch slurries.

The optimal slurry for measuring density, flow and massflow is a homogene turbulent slurry in a pipe or vessel, with a large concentration of particles below 1 mm.

Arenal PCS produces CMP Slurry Analysers for the semicon/TFT/LCD industry. The Analyser consists of the process control Analyser and a teflon flow block with ultrasonic spectroscopy sensors. The CMP slurry flows througth the blocks to the wafers. Meanwhile the quality of the slurry is continuously monitored to reduce for risks of scratches on the surface of the wafers.

Technology

Ultrasonic spectroscopy is a acoustical physical property technology, offering long term stability. High energy pulses are induced into the piezo element: an ultrasonic wave arises and propagates through the sensor and the slurry: the reflections from the the interface between the element and the slurry, as well as from the reflector are measured. Their properties change due to the temperature and the properties of the slurry, of which density is one of. All acoustic properties are read by the process control Analyser (PCA). In the PCA the concentration of the slurry is calculated. Learn more about the technology here.

Embodiments

One or more ceramic probes can be mounted in QB1 blocks, made from PTFE.