Polarimeter Sample Cells: Better By Design

Many Rudolph Polarimeter
Cell designs offer significant advantages over traditional fused end glass cell designs as shown in Picture B. All
 glass, polarimeter cells are easily broken and often build up optically active residue on the inside of the glass
 ends. Also these cells do not have built in apertures so the light passing through the sample is easily affected by
 small air bubbles caught inside the cell as shown in Picture B. Rudolph does offer this style cell for those
customers who prefer a fused glass end cell for use in their polarimeter or saccharimeter but doesn’t recommend them.

Rudolph Polarimeter Cells with built in apertures eliminate these problems because the stainless steel screw ends have apertures that are smaller
than the internal diameter of the cell body to avoid the problem of the light being disturbed by small air bubbles along the surface of the cell.
This design results in better optical rotation measurement stability (Figure 2).

As shown below, the screw caps have precision apertures which reduce the beam diameter to less than the internal diameter of
the cell so that, when the cells are aligned with the beam, internal sidewall reflections and consequent depolarizing effects are minimized.