In this interview, AZoMaterials spoke with Paul Senior, Product Manager at Hiden Isochema, about the launch of their new entry-level DVS system, the IGAsorp Core, which is designed to make accurate and reliable water sorption data more accessible for routine applications.
To begin, could you introduce yourself and your role at Hiden Isochema?
I am the Product Manager for Hiden Isochema’s benchtop Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) systems, including the IGAsorp series. My role focuses on working closely with customers to understand their measurement challenges and, in collaboration with our engineering team, translate those into new product developments.
I also work to identify new areas and industries where our instruments could be used more widely. Helping last year to introduce the IGA ECOsorp for DVS in carbon capture applications is a good example of this. Ultimately, much of my job is to ensure our instruments deliver the performance, usability, and reliability that our customers’ real-world workflows demand.
Could you explain what the IGAsorp Core DVS analyzer does?
The IGAsorp Core is a new dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) analyzer designed specifically for routine water sorption workflows. It is the newest member of the IGAsorp series of DVS analyzers and marks an important expansion of this product range. Introducing a new entry point to DVS, it brings reliable sorption measurement to more users whilst maintaining the high standards the IGAsorp name is known for.
The system uses gravimetric measurements to track mass changes as a sample is exposed to controlled humidity and temperature conditions. This allows users to study sorption kinetics, generate isotherms, and quantify hygroscopic behavior.
What makes the IGAsorp Core particularly exciting is that, whilst it is an entry-level instrument, it inherits the engineering DNA of our flagship IGAsorp systems. This means users get high-quality performance, but in a more accessible and streamlined package.
Image Credit: Hiden Isochema
What specific issues were you aiming to address with this new launch?
DVS is used across a very diverse range of applications, from quick routine checks of hygroscopicity to very detailed research into sorption kinetics, thermodynamics, and material stability. But many routine users face a significant dilemma. Currently, they can either choose lower-cost entry-level systems that compromise on performance or stretch their budgets to purchase research-grade instruments that exceed their needs.
Neither option is ideal.
We wanted to redefine what an entry-level DVS system could be. The IGAsorp Core gives routine users a system that genuinely meets their characterization requirements – with the environmental stability, measurement accuracy, and reliability they need – whilst still being budget accessible. It closes that gap between affordability and scientific credibility.
Entry-level DVS systems already exist. What makes the IGAsorp Core fundamentally different from other options at this level?
The IGAsorp Core delivers several capabilities that are simply not available in typical entry-level systems:
- HIsorp software with guided workflows, integrated analysis, and automatic reporting, improving ease of use and reducing variability
- Sub-microgram balance resolution and best-in-class stability, allowing confident detection of small sorption events
- Direct measurement of temperature and humidity at the sample, ensuring true environmental accuracy
- Superior temperature stability from 15 to 40 °C, enabling tighter RH control and more repeatable data
- A robust mechanical and thermal architecture backed by a three-year warranty
These features set a new benchmark for what ‘entry-level’ should mean.
Temperature stability is a major theme in DVS performance. How does the IGAsorp Core achieve its stability, and why does it matter?
Temperature control is fundamental to DVS accuracy because it directly determines the saturation vapor pressure of water, and therefore the true relative humidity (RH) at the sample. Even small temperature fluctuations cause measurable shifts in vapor pressure, which distort both equilibrium and kinetics data.
The IGAsorp Core uses our new iSSB thermostat, a hybrid solid-state/water bath system, with advanced electronic control. It tightly regulates the temperature of water circulating through an isothermal block that houses both the humidity generation system and the sample chamber.
To put this into perspective, a fluctuation of ± 0.2 °C (typical of some entry-level systems) can introduce an RH error of approximately 2 % of the setpoint when the sample is at 25 °C. That can be enough to shift isotherms, distort kinetic profiles, and undermine batch-to-batch comparisons.
We wanted the IGAsorp Core to do better, so it maintains stability within ±0.05 °C, reducing RH uncertainty to around 0.6 % of the setpoint at 25 °C. This three-fold improvement translates directly into more repeatable isotherms, more reliable kinetic endpoints, and greater confidence that differences reflect the sample, not the instrument.
Reliability is critical for long-running sorption experiments. How has the IGAsorp Core been engineered to deliver long-term reliability?
DVS experiments often run for days, and users depend on uninterrupted operation. Any reliability issue can result in failed runs, lost samples, wasted operator time, and increased cost of ownership.
The IGAsorp Core is built on the same engineering platform as our flagship IGAsorp systems, which are instruments known globally for their robustness and long service life. Importantly, we always continue to support legacy systems; there is no arbitrary cut-off when it comes to service or parts.
This means users benefit from maximized uptime, predictable performance, and repeatable data over years of operation. Although it’s an entry-level system, it's not built like one. It brings robust system engineering into a more accessible format, giving routine users the reliability they need for continuous, high-throughput workflows.
Image Credit: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.com
Software often has a big part to play in how accessible an instrument is for routine users. How true is this for the IGAsorp Core?
The IGAsorp Core’s software, HIsorp, provides a unified environment for method setup, instrument control, data analysis, and reporting. It has been designed specifically for users who need to run measurements quickly without extensive training. The interface guides users through each step of an experiment, helping to reduce subjectivity and minimize the risk of error.
Because the analysis tools are also built directly into the software, there is no need to export data into separate applications or switch between different programs, helping to speed up progress and maintain consistency.
For laboratories where multiple operators share an instrument, this point around consistency is especially important. HIsorp makes it straightforward to set up standardized methods and run them repeatedly, so results are not operator dependent. This not only supports QC and regulated environments but also helps new users become productive quickly.
The result is a software environment that genuinely supports routine DVS workflows. It is fast to learn, easy to use, and designed to deliver reproducible outcomes.
What types of applications or environments are best suited to the IGAsorp Core?
The IGAsorp Core performs exceptionally well in environments where hygroscopicity screening, stability assessments, or batch-to-batch comparisons are carried out regularly. Areas such as pharmaceutical development, food science, polymers, packaging, and building materials regularly use DVS and will benefit from the IGAsorp Core.
At the same time, its sensitivity and stability make it suitable for more specialized tasks, which are becoming increasingly routine. Characterization of amorphous materials is such an example.
DVS has long played an important role in detecting low levels of amorphous content (as low as 0.1 % w/w) in pharmaceutical materials intended to be crystalline. However, there is now a broader trend in pharmaceuticals of using amorphous phases, such as Amorphous Solid Dispersions (ASDs), to improve solubility and bioavailability.
The challenge here is to assess that these formulations are stable and will not recrystallize under use or storage conditions. With its strong environmental control, the IGAsorp Core does this comfortably and provides coverage across typical ICH-aligned stress conditions, including 40 °C / 75 % RH. Film and membrane permeation studies are also possible with the IGAsorp Core’s dedicated permeation cell.
For teams considering a DVS system, how should they evaluate whether the IGAsorp Core is the right choice?
Choosing the right DVS system ultimately comes down to understanding the level of environmental control, stability, and repeatability your workflow genuinely requires. For many routine sorption studies, users do not need the full flexibility of a research-grade instrument.
Instead, they need confidence that the data they generate is accurate and comparable over time. The IGAsorp Core is designed for this space: laboratories that value reliability, straightforward operation, and credible results without stretching their budget.
Finally, what’s next for the IGAsorp series and for Hiden Isochema’s gravimetric platform?
We are going to continue working to expand the IGAsorp platform as we have done progressively since it was first launched in the 1990s. The IGAsorp Core is the next step in making high-quality gravimetric measurements more accessible and easier to achieve. Beyond that, new capabilities, software enhancements, and application-focused solutions will all strengthen the IGAsorp family. And the great thing is that we always try to make upgrades backwards compatible, so existing IGAsorp users can benefit as much as possible.
Our goal is to continue to provide a complete, scalable portfolio from routine screening to advanced research; all built on the sample principles of accuracy, stability, and reliability.
Hiden Isochema - an introduction
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About the Speaker
Paul Senior is a product leader in analytical instrumentation, currently driving innovation as Product Manager at Hiden Isochema. With over a decade of experience in material characterisation, his career spans contract research, instrument development, and product management. Paul’s technical expertise lies in rheology, particle characterisation, and sorption science - fields where he sees data not just as output, but as insight with global impact. His core motivation is transforming scientific understanding into actionable strategy and compelling narratives that shape market direction and inspire customer confidence.
This information has been sourced, reviewed, and adapted from materials provided by Hiden Isochema.
For more information on this source, please visit Hiden Isochema.
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited (T/A) AZoNetwork, the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and Conditions of use of this website.