Method of operating a balance with ionizer

A method for operating a balance having:

• a weighing sample receptacle arranged in a weighing chamber for receiving a weighing sample,
• a weighing sensor mechanically connected to the weighing sample receptacle,
• an ionizer configured to introduce positive and negative ion clouds into the weighing chamber, and
• weighing electronics controllingly connected to the weighing sensor and to the ionizer, the method comprising:
• neutralizing the weighing chamber by bringing the weighing sample from an actual electrostatic charged state toward an electrostatic neutral state, by activating the ionizer to introduce the ion clouds into the weighing chamber, wherein said neutralizing comprises a recognition phase followed by a neutralization phase,
• wherein during the recognition phase:
• the positive and the negative ion clouds are alternatingly introduced,
• measured values of the weighing sensor are acquired on an ongoing basis and preliminary weighing values are calculated from the acquired measured values on an ongoing basis, and
• a determination of whether the positive ion clouds or the negative ion clouds lead to larger changes within the preliminary weighing values, and
• wherein during the neutralization phase:
• in accordance with said determination during the recognition phase, only ion clouds that are only positive or are only negative are introduced;
• detecting the electrostatic neutral state, within specified electrostatic tolerances, achieved by the ion clouds, wherein said detecting of the electrostatic neutral state comprises recognizing a predetermined number of the preliminary weighing values as stable within predetermined weighing-value tolerances,
• calculating from the measured values a final weighing value representative of the electrostatic neutral state, and
• outputting the final weighing value.