LCK Cuvette Test System: Approved. Simple. Fast. Safe.

The launch of the world’s first ready-to-use reagent packages for photometric analysis in the 1960s had a substantial effect on environmental analysis. Today Hach® LCK Cuvette Tests, spectrophotometers and services are indispensable elements of operational analysis. Innovations such as 10-fold rotational measurement have simplified analysis even further and made it more reliable. The correct processing of used reagents in Hach’s own certified environment centre completes the LCK Cuvette Test System.

Hach offers LCK Cuvette Tests for more than 50 different parameters with almost 100 measuring ranges. The diversity of tests makes them suitable for multiple applications.

Designed to reduce operating errors
Hach spectrophotometers are pre-calibrated in the factory, so the measurement result is obtained in just a few steps. No reagent blank is required. The 10-fold rotational measurement with the integrated barcode reader (IBR+) ensures maximum reliability of the results and operator confidence. The photometer automatically identifies the cuvette test and reads in the associated evaluation factors from the barcode as the cuvette rotates. At the same time, anomalous readings caused by soil or scratches on the cuvette glass are recognised as outliers and eliminated. Potential sources of error are therefore reduced to a minimum.

Regular application of AQA ensures that the results of analyses are traceable and recognized. Hach supports this by offering single and multiparameter standard solutions, test filter sets for photometers and Service Programs for preventive instrument maintenance.

Health and environmental protection
Safe handling of chemicals is a key priority for Hach. The cuvette functions as a multi-purpose vial: For transport, digestion, analysis and disposal. The narrow neck of the LCK cuvettes prevents chemicals from spilling. At the same time it prevents evaporation whenever the cap is removed to the absolute minimum.

On top of that the Dosicap system was developed to make adding solid reagents to the cuvette as simple, as safe and as reproducibly precise a possible. The required amount of reagent is freeze-dried in a cuvette cap. When the reagent needs to be added the Dosicap is screwed on the cuvette and the solid reagent is dissolved only after the cuvette is safely closed again.

Continuous environmental investment is the other high priority in the development of the LCK Cuvette Tests. One aspect is the reduction of the amounts of chemicals and harmful substances used. The second being that since 1978, Hach has collected used reagents for proper treatment in its own Environment Centre. Thanks to the special reagent processing techniques applied there, more than 78 % of all returned test components are fed back into the production and material cycles. Customers are always welcome to visit the Environment Centre in Duesseldorf, Germany.

Sample preparation with shorter digestion times
The HT200S thermostat can be used to carry out a fast digestion for the parameters COD, Ptot, Ntot and total heavy metals. Thanks to the shorter digestion times and automatic rapid cooling, a COD determination takes only 35 minutes instead of the usual 2.25 hours.