Analytical instrumentation
TOFWERK - Real-time chemical analysis for food research and environmental monitoring
Aromas develop during fermentation, emissions vary during production, and the composition of air is constantly changing. Understanding these processes requires measurements that reveal both which substances are present and how their concentrations change.
Benelux Scientific represents Vocus and mipTOF systems from TOFWERK, a Bruker company.
These time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) solutions reveal chemical changes in real time. Vocus analyses volatile compounds for applications including food research and environmental monitoring. mipTOF measures trace elements and metals in airborne particles.
Food, flavour and fragrance: understanding aroma and product quality
Volatile organic compounds play an important role in the aroma of food and beverages. Changes in these compounds can provide information about fermentation, the influence of ingredients, or the development of unwanted flavours and odours.
TOFWERK Vocus measures many volatile compounds simultaneously and tracks their concentrations in real time. This allows researchers to compare aroma profiles and determine how they develop during a process. Relevant applications include:
- Product development: investigating how ingredients and processing conditions influence aroma profiles.
- Fermentation: following changes in volatile compounds to better understand and optimise the process.
- Quality investigations: analysing differences between products or raw materials and investigating unwanted flavours and odours.
Fast measurements help relate changes to a specific stage in the process, providing a clearer understanding of when and under which conditions an aroma profile changes.
More about these applications: Food and flavour analysis and Beverage aroma analysis
Air quality, emissions and atmospheric research
The composition of air is constantly changing. Industrial activities, traffic and natural sources contribute to complex mixtures of volatile compounds. Understanding their impact requires insight into both the substances present and changes in their concentrations.
TOFWERK Vocus measures many volatile compounds simultaneously and tracks their concentrations in real time. This makes the technology relevant for:
- Air quality research: investigating differences in chemical composition between locations and measurement periods.
- Industrial emissions: capturing short-lived concentration peaks and investigating potential emission sources.
- Atmospheric research: following how volatile compounds behave and change under different atmospheric conditions.
Fast measurements help relate chemical changes to process activities, location or meteorological conditions. Researchers can use these data to better explain concentration patterns and investigate the contributions of different sources.
More about these applications: Vocus applications and Source apportionment
Airborne metals: investigating particle composition
Alongside gases, air contains particles with a wide range of chemical compositions. The presence and relative proportions of metals can help characterise these particles and investigate their potential origins.
TOFWERK mipTOF directly analyses trace elements and metals in airborne particles. The system combines a microwave-induced plasma with TOFMS to follow changes in particle composition in real time. Applications include:
- Air quality research: determining which elements are present in particles and how their concentrations vary.
- Emissions research: capturing short-lived events involving metal-containing particles.
- Source apportionment: combining elemental patterns with additional data to distinguish potential contributions from different emission sources.
The benefit is direct information about changes over time. While filter sampling followed by laboratory analysis provides a picture over a collection period, mipTOF helps investigate individual events and variations in particle composition.
More about this application: Source apportionment of air pollutants and metal-containing aerosols
Looking for greater insight into your product, process or measurement environment?
Would you like to investigate aroma changes during fermentation, track volatile emissions or analyse airborne metals? Our product specialist Ken De Roover will be happy to discuss your measurement needs and which TOFWERK solution could meet them.
