Welcome to our Knowledge Base

Here you can find all answers to your questions about SG Isotech or our products. If you still didn’t find the answer you’re looking for, please contact us.

What is the principle of EIM?

The principle of the EIM-IRMS® method is based on the dehydration of ethanol using an EIM catalyst, specially developed by SG Isotech, followed by pyrolysis of gas and measurement of the relative ratio of Hydrogenstable isotopes in the Hydrogen gas created.

What kind of alcoholic beverages (or plant food) I can to measure on this equipment? What kind of matrix it has to be?

All products containing ethanol or fermentable sugars can be prepared for analysis by the EIM-IRMS method and equipment. As the abbreviation EIM itself suggests, it is an Ethanol Isotope Measurement concept, so the main analyte under test is ethanol. Fermentable sugars must first be converted to ethanol so that ethanol can be analyzed for illegal practices and the botanical origin of the starting material used in production.

If I measure the distillate of wine, what is alcoholic strength has to be?

The alcoholic strength of the wine distillate should be greater than 92% vol.

How many samples I can measure on EIM in one sequence?

From 30 to 40 samples can be analyzed within a single sequence.

What kind of standard I have to use? Where I can buy it or take it?

For the purposes of EIM-IRMS, it is necessary to use AAWES standard with known dDn value, which can be obtained from us at SG Isotech Company.

When and how often I have to change reactors?

EIMPyro Peripheral has two reactors. ED reactor needs to be changed after approx.180 injections and Pyro reactor has to be changed after 500 injections.

What kind of autosampler can be connected to EIMPyro Peripheral?

EIMPyro peripheral can be connected to AS3000, AI 1310 Liquid Autosampler or GC Pal Autosamplers for liquid samples.

How many injections do I have to do to achieve the end result for one sample?

When performing analysis, 3-5 injections should be done per one sample.

How can I calculate finish results? Could I calculate SD for the finish average value?

SG Isotech has developed specific software called “EIM Calculator” which is used for calculation of dDn results. EIM Calculator also has the possibility to calculate average dDn value and SD for each analyzed sample.

How can I check the system that it does not some leak? How often to do it?

After connecting the EIMPyro peripherals to the isotope ratio MS and after raising the temperature in the reactors, it is necessary to determine whether all the connections are tightened before starting the sequence. By switching the mass on the middle detector to 40 (Argon) it is necessary to monitor the background which should be below 40 mV. Leak checking must be performed each time before the analysis begins. If the leakage is higher, it is necessary to check all connections as a rule from the closest connection to the longest connection from IRMS.

What is the main difference between EIM equipment and NMR? Which results are more precise?

The NMR concept is based on the technique of counting deuterium atoms on a methyl and methylene group of ethanol, which oscillate at appropriate frequencies in a strong magnetic field, while the EIM technique is based on determining the dD values of non-exchangeable stable isotopes of Hydrogen in ethanol. The analytical values obtained by both techniques are very precise, but there is a difference in the natural ranges of these analytical parameters for ethanol with a different botanical origin, and accordingly a difference in the level of detection of illegal production practices in the production of wine, fruit juices, alcoholic beverages, and honey. For NMR this difference for ethanol with the different botanical origin is only 1 ppm, while for EIM it is about 50 ‰ on a relative scale.

What is reproducibility of EIM method?

The accuracy of measurement is expressed by the precision limits of the repeatability and reproducibility which can be calculated from the sample standard deviation of the test results. The repeatability precision limit (r) and the reproducibility precision limit (R) for EIM-IRMS are calculated as follows:

r = 2.8 × sr = 2.7‰ ;
R = 2.8 × sR = 2.13 ‰

Where:
- sR - Interlaboratory Reproducibility standard deviation as Standard deviation of all measurements of the same sample expressed in ‰
- sr − Interlaboratory Repeatability standard deviation as the average standard deviation for the same sample expressed in ‰

How long it takes to measure one sample?

The analysis of one sample takes 5-8 minutes.

Can I measure, for example, in one sequence ethanol of wine and ethanol from honey?

Yes, there is no problem to analyze ethanol samples from different sources.

What is happened with ethanol of wine in the reactors?

Ethanol is firstly quantitatively dehydrated without isotopic fractionation over specifically designed EIM Catalyst and then pyrolyzed and elemental Hydrogen gas is obtained.

If distillate has less alcoholic strength than 92 % vol.,would I get accurate results of ɗ2H?

If by any chance a distillate of less than 92% vol is obtained, the distillation process of the wine sample should be repeated and the alcoholic strength and recovery determined again

Can I use only a pyro furnace? In what case?

Yes, the Pyro reactor can be used separately when determining the d18O or dD values in water or solid samples.

How can I heat up/heat down the temperature of furnaces? I have to do it by myself or it will be automatically?

Yes, the EIMPyro peripheral has the ability to automatically heat up and cool down the reactors. There is no need to manually raise or lower the temperature, but this option also exists.

How long time it takes to heat up/heat down the temperature of furnaces?

3-4 hours.

Does this equipment works only in a room with special temperature conditions or it can stay in usual temperature conditions?

Like other IRMS equipment, the EIMPyro should also be positioned in an air-conditioned room.

What EIM-PADS stands for?

EIM-PADS is a shortcut for Ethanol Isotope Measurement – Preparation Automatic Distillation System.

How many distillation units can be in one battery? If it is possible to make for example 4 or 5 (or less) units in one battery?

EIM-PADS can contain up to 10 distillation units

What kind of product can I distillate on EIM-PADS?

Wine, fermented fruit juices, fermented honey as well as alcoholic beverages can be distilled on the EIM-PADS system.

Is it possible to distillate few samples in one time (or different origin products in one time)?

Of course, it is possible to distill different samples simultaneously, regardless of their origin.

What is the volume of sample for distillation? If it will be the same for different products?

The volume of the sample to be distilled is always the same and is 250 mL.

What is the volume of flask for distillation?

The volume of the distillation flask is 500 mL.

The process of distillation is going automatically or I have to control the temperature by myself?

The whole distillation process is fully automated and software-driven, so the process ends automatically when ethanol is completely pre-distilled and converted to the distillate.

In what temperature the distillation starts and finish? Why?

Distillation begins when the temperature at the top of the distillation unit reaches 78.2 °C and ends when the temperature exceeds the value of 79 °C. The ethanol evaporation temperature is exactly within this range of values and as soon as the temperature exits this range means that there is no more ethanol in the superheated steam and that the distillation process is complete.

How the distillation unit controls the temperature of distillation?

Temperature is controlled by EIM-PADS software.

What has to be the recovery of distillate for instance from sample of wine? Why it has to be like that?

The recovery of the sample must be greater than 90% since in this case, the isotopic fractionation of ethanol during distillation is minimal.

What is the average value of alcoholic strength of sample of wine? How can I check it and why I have to do it time to time (or how often)?

The average alcoholic strength of the distillate is in the range of 92-94% vol. The alcoholic strength of the distillate must be determined for each sample prepared since the quality of the analysis itself depends on it, and the recoverability calculation first.

Could I write the name of samples in the program?

Yes, sample names can be entered into the EIM-PADS program.

How long does it take to distill a sample? Does distillation time depend on the sample?

Yes, the distillation time in the first place depends on the amount of ethanol in the sample. The average distillation process lasts from 1.5 to 2 hours.

Can I stop distillation at any time and what would happen if I took only 5 or 10 ml of distillate, for example?

Distillation may be stopped at any time, but it is not advisable in this case to use distillate for authentication because the process is not complete and is not quantitative by itself. Ethanol must be quantitatively extracted from the sample to be analyzed in order for the results to be reliable and valid.

Does the distillate need to be stored in the refrigerator or can it be kept at room temperature?

Yes, it is advisable to keep ethanol distillate samples in the refrigerator at low temperature to avoid evaporation and hence isotopic fractionation and loss of sample origin information.

Do you have all elements and details in one unit or I have to find some elements in another company?

Yes, all spare parts for EIM-PADS can be purchased directly from our SG ISOTECH Company.

Why this automatic unit is better than usual distillery?

It is not possible to concentrate ethanol by standard distillation to the ethanol concentrations obtained on EIM-PADS.

How much space it could occupy in the lab?

The space occupied by EIM-PADS depends first on the number of distillation units within a single battery. if the distillation battery contains 10 distillation units then the space it occupies is about 8 square meters.

What is the professional area of the company?

SG Isotech is a 100% private company specializing in the production, research and development of analytical instrumentation equipment for the authentication of food products, which is based on the determination of stable isotopes of light elements such as Hydrogen, Carbon, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Sulfur.

When it was founded and in what country?

SG Isotech was founded in 2013 in the Republic of Serbia.

In which countries and organisations (or lab/research center) the company was cooperated?

SG Isotech currently has collaborations with scientific institutions and scientific teams (laboratories and research centers) in the US, Austria, Hungary, the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China.

Does it plan to grow up in the future? How?

Yes, SG Isotech plans to continue to develop further and grow up in the future so that it could increase its offerings and be available to both existing and future prospective clients with new technologies and instruments that will help them perform their activities easier, faster and better.

Where (website, social links) could I find more information about SG Isotech?

SG Isotech is a socially active company with its profiles on social networks such as Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

In what languages I can speak with members of company?

All interested parties can speak with our representatives in English.

Does it company have technical specialists and technologists?

Yes, SG Isotech has a highly qualified professional staff consisting of Engineers and PhDs in various fields of business and technical expertise. Our associates are always available on your request.

Where can I find some results of measurements of this equipment?

All information about our equipment, as well as information on results and measurements and scientific references can be obtained here on our website

Where this equipment presented?

Currently 5 laboratories worldwide are already using the SG Isotech revolutionary EIM-IRMS concept and are successfully detecting illegal manufacturing practices in the production of wine, fruit juices, honey and spirits. Our equipment can be seen at the following institutions:
1. Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN) Scientific Research & Education Center, Moscow, Russian Federation
2. COIL, Cornell Stable Isotope Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, US
3. Imprint Analytic, Neutal, Austria
4. Atomic Institute, Debrecen, Hungary,
5. C.N.R.I.F.F.I., Beijing, People's Republic of China

Does the Company do the research work?

Research and development is a very important and crucial part of our business. Continuous development and science-based innovation are the keys to our success, which stands out from the competition in the market and offer our potential customers new technologies that are the basis for solving practical problems in their business.