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Absorbency – The pad material must be absorbent enough to form a
wick for a liquid sample and to be a sample holder for more viscous
type samples.
•
Density – The sample medium must have uniform density to guarantee
that the moisture will volatilize rapidly and evenly, without causing
residual heating.
•
Porosity – Correct porosity of the pad material ensures maximum
surface area for liquid samples in order to increase
volatilization of moisture. Correct porosity helps prevent
sample degradation or burning.
•
Strength – The tensile strength of the medium has a direct effect on the
ability of the sample pad to withstand the stress imposed during sample
application.
Teflon Coated Glass Fiber Mesh – The mesh is used as a holder for fiber
samples or as a “spacer” between multiple sheets of paper samples.
Drying Basket – The basket is made of Teflon coated glass fiber mesh. It is
typically lined with two square pads. It is used to hold large samples and for salt
dilutions.