Team:CLS CLSG UK/Cost analysis
Cost breakdown
Our hardware device’s major focus included cost-effectiveness, alongside high sensitivity. Our hardware project consists of a (influx)peristaltic pump, voltammetry cell, electrodes, SD card, and a potentiostat. Below are the detailed cost lists:
| Electrodes | Quantity | Cost(£) |
|---|---|---|
| BASi MF-2014 Gold Electrode (Au) for voltammetry 1.6 mm dia. | 1 | 294.00 |
| BASi MF-2052 Electrode - RE-5B Ag/AgCl reference with flexible connector (3M NaCl) | 1 | 93.00 |
| BASi EF-1352 Calomel reference electrode | 1 | 397.00 |
| BASi MF-1052 VC-2 voltammetry cell - glass | 2 | 352.00 |
| BASi MF-2060 PK-4 electrode polishing kit | 1 | 208.00 |
| Potentiostat Parts | Quantity | Cost(£) |
|---|---|---|
| Printed circuit board FR-4 2 layers | 5 | 32.19 |
| IPCB assembly | 1 | 78.17 |
| 12V Peristaltic Pump, DC 12V 3x5mm | 1 | 10.19 |
| SanDisk SDSDB-032G-B35 32 GB SDHC Class 4 Memory Card | 1 | 5.99 |
| Chemicals | Quantity | Cost(£) |
|---|---|---|
| O-(2-mercaptoethyl)-O’-methyl-hexa (ethylene glycol) | 250mg | 138.00 |
| tris-(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine hydrochloride (TCEP) | 2g | 111.00 |
Hazard reduction
Common methods of chromatography based analysis, such as mass spectrometry and infra-red spectrometry are of unsustainable prices and requires manual sampling. Workers/researchers have to enter a potentially toxic, harmful water system on a daily basis to collect results and reset the analysers. Our hardware, which contains a semi-automatic sampling system reduces the risks coming from the toxic environments asymptotically to zero as samples are collected through an influx peristaltic pump and the data is automatically recorded. The only in-person procedure would be replacing/collecting the SD cards in the potentiostat every 3 to 5 days.
Price advantages
References
- Lab Manager Magazine. (2010). Lab Manager. https://www.labmanager.com/product-focus/ftir-spectroscopy-picking-up-steam-in-nontraditional-markets-19666#:~:text=Depending%20on%20the%20bells%20and,PerkinElmer%20(Beaconsfield%2C%20U.K.).