EUROPEAN PHARMACOPOEIA 11.0 2.1.3.

Ultraviolet ray lamps for analytical purposes

2.1. APPARATUS 01/2008:20102

01/2008:20101

2.1.2. COMPARATIVE TABLE OF

POROSITY OF SINTERED-GLASS
2.1.1. DROPPERS FILTERS(1)
The term ‘drops’ means standard drops delivered from a Table 2.1.2.-1
standard dropper as described below. Porosity number Maximum Germany France United
Standard droppers (Figure 2.1.1.-1) are constructed of (Ph. Eur.)(2) diameter of pores Kingdom
in micrometres
practically colourless glass. The lower extremity has a circular 1.6 – –
less than 1.6 5f
orifice in a flat surface at right angles to the axis.
– 1 - 2.5 5 – 5
4 1.6 - 4 – – –
– 4-6 – 5 –

10 4 - 10 4f – 4
16 10 - 16 4 4 –

40 16 - 40 3 3 3
– 40 - 50 – – 2
100 40 - 100 2 2 –
– 100 - 120 – – 1
160 100 - 160 1 1 –
– 150 - 200 0 0 –

250 160 - 250 – – –

– 200 - 500 – 00 –

Special Uses
Diameters in micrometres
< 2.5 Bacteriological filtration
4 - 10 Ultra-fine filtration, separation of micro-organisms of large
diameter
10 - 40 Analytical filtration, very fine filtration of mercury, very fine
dispersion of gases
40 - 100 Fine filtration, filtration of mercury, fine dispersion of gases
100 - 160 Filtration of coarse materials, dispersion and washing of gases,
support for other filter materials
160 - 500 Filtration of very coarse materials, dispersion and washing of
gases.

01/2023:20103

2.1.3. ULTRAVIOLET RAY LAMPS FOR

Figure 2.1.1.-1. – Standard dropper
Dimensions in millimetres
Other droppers may be used provided they comply with the
following test.
20 drops of water R at 20 ± 1 °C flowing freely from the
dropper held in the vertical position at a constant rate of
1 drop per second weighs 1000 ± 50 mg.
The dropper must be carefully cleaned before use. Carry out 3
determinations on any given dropper. No result may deviate by
more than 5 per cent from the mean of the 3 determinations.
(1) The given limits are only approximate.
(2) The European Pharmacopoeia has adopted the system proposed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
ANALYTICAL PURPOSES
Mercury vapour in quartz lamps is used as a source of
ultraviolet (UV) light. A suitable filter may be fitted to
eliminate the visible part of the spectrum emitted by the
lamp. When the Pharmacopoeia prescribes in a test the use
of ultraviolet light of wavelength 254 nm or 365/366 nm, an
instrument consisting of a mercury vapour lamp and a filter
that gives an emission band with maximum intensity at about
254 nm or 365/366 nm may be used.
Alternatively, lamps fitted with fluorescent tubes emitting UV
light at 254 nm (narrow bandwidth) or with fluorescent tubes
emitting broadband UVA light (315-380 nm ; long-wave UV
light) can be used.

General Notices (1) apply to all monographs and other texts 17

2.1.4. Sieves EUROPEAN PHARMACOPOEIA 11.0

The lamp used should be capable of revealing without doubt
a standard spot of sodium salicylate about 5 mm in diameter
on a TLC silica gel G plate R or a standard band of sodium
salicylate on a TLC or HPTLC plate, the spot or band being
examined while in a position normal to the radiation.
For this purpose apply 5 μL of a 0.4 g/L solution of sodium
salicylate R in ethanol (96 per cent) R(3) for lamps of maximum shall exceed the nominal size by more than X, where :
output at 254 nm and 5 μL of a 2 g/L solution of sodium
salicylate R in ethanol (96 per cent) R(3) for lamps of maximum
output at 365/366.
The distance between the lamp and the chromatographic
plate under examination used in a pharmacopoeial test never
exceeds the distance used to carry out the above-mentioned
performance test.
the material of the sieve and the substance being sifted.
Degree of comminution is prescribed in the monograph
using the sieve number, which is the size of the mesh in
micrometres, given in parenthesis after the name of the
substance (Table 2.1.4.-1).
Maximum tolerance(4) for an aperture (+ X) : no aperture size
2 ( w0.75)
X= + 4 ( w0.25)
3
w = width of aperture.
Tolerance for mean aperture (± Y) : the average aperture size
shall not depart from the nominal size by more than ± Y,
where :

w0.98
Y= + 1.6
27
01/2008:20104 Intermediary tolerance (+ Z) : not more than 6 per cent of the
total number of apertures shall have sizes between “nominal
+ X” and “nominal + Z”, where :

X+Y
Z=
2
2.1.4. SIEVES Wire diameter d : the wire diameters given in Table 2.1.4.-1
apply to woven metal wire cloth mounted in a frame. The
Sieves are constructed of suitable materials with square nominal sizes of the wire diameters may depart from these
meshes. For purposes other than analytical procedures, sieves values within the limits dmax and dmin. The limits define a
with circular meshes may be used, the internal diameters of permissible range of choice ± 15 per cent of the recommended
which are 1.25 times the aperture of the square mesh of the nominal dimensions. The wires in a test sieve shall be of a
corresponding sieve size. There must be no reaction between similar diameter in warp and weft directions.
Table 2.1.4.-1 (values in micrometers)
Sieve Tolerances for apertures Wire diameters
numbers
Maximum Tolerance for Intermediary Recommended Admissible limits
(Nominal
tolerance for mean aperture tolerance nominal
dimensions of
an aperture dimensions
apertures)
+X ±Y +Z d dmax dmin
11 200 770 350 560 2500 2900 2100
8000 600 250 430 2000 2300 1700
5600 470 180 320 1600 1900 1300
4000 370 130 250 1400 1700 1200
2800 290 90 190 1120 1300 950
2000 230 70 150 900 1040 770
1400 180 50 110 710 820 600
1000 140 30 90 560 640 480
710 112 25 69 450 520 380
500 89 18 54 315 360 270
355 72 13 43 224 260 190
250 58 9.9 34 160 190 130
180 47 7.6 27 125 150 106
125 38 5.8 22 90 104 77
90 32 4.6 18 63 72 54
63 26 3.7 15 45 52 38
45 22 3.1 13 32 37 27
38 – – – 30 35 24

(3) The ethanol (96 per cent) R used must be free from fluorescence.
(4) See the International Standard ISO 3310/1 (1975).

18 See the information section on general monographs (cover pages)