Welcome to the August edition of the HORIBA Particle Technology Newsletter.

For new users and those wishing to gain a more thorough understanding of the theoretical background on laser diffraction, we have scheduled our training classes for September and November.

New applications information is also presented for applications in glass beads, asphalt emulsions, and soils and sediments. The capabilities of the HORIBA particle analyzers are highlighted, as well as the unique application challenges of these materials.

Also, a number of other application notes, case studies and product information have been added to our website for your review. This library of useful technical information is located at www.horibalab.com. We welcome you to visit and download the information you need.

The dates are set for our Fall LA series training courses:

September 25-26 and November 6-7. These courses are intended for existing LA-300, LA-910, LA-920, LA-930, and LA-950 customers. We have restructured both the content and format to focus on method development, data interpretation and software features.  Morning lectures will be followed by afternoon hands-on sessions in our Irvine, CA applications lab.

Click here for information on the LA series training courses.

The size and shape of glass beads added to highway paints effects the reflective properties: more round beads reflect more light. The Camsizer digital image processor is replacing older techniques such as sieves and the Round-o-Meter for measuring these glass beads at both glass manufacturing plans and department of transportation laboratories.

Click here for more information on using the Camsizer for this application and download the application note (You need to be logged in).

The size distribution of asphalt emulsions can vary with raw materials, final product requirements and processing conditions. Asphalt droplets dispersed in water range in size from sub-micron to 10 microns, making this application perfect for the LA series of diffraction particle size analyzers. Both the more portable LA-300 and the full-featured LA-950 work well for this application.

Click here for more information on using LA series diffraction analyzers to measure asphalt emulsions and download the application note (You need to be logged in).

Analyzing the physical characteristics of soils and sediments reveals important information about the formation, history and climate of a region. Soil samples have unusually broad distributions – creating unique application challenges. The Phi scale (built into LA series software) used by soil engineers uses simple whole numbers to classify boundary limits based on the equation phi = - log 2d, where d = particle diameter in millimeters. The LA-950 has the broadest dynamic range of any diffraction particle size analyzer – making it the system of choice for soil and sediment applications. Samples with significant populations above 3 mm can be analyzed using the Camsizer digital image processing system, which also provides valuable shape information and images of the particles.

Click here for more information on soils and sediments and download the application note (You need to be logged in).