Chemical Manufacturing

The High-concentration Low-viscosity Cell (HL Cell) is an accessory for the LA-960V2 laser diffraction particle size analyzer that aids in measuring samples of low viscosity or high concentration. Since liquid inks, dyes, and pigments are often high concentration, the HL Cell is a useful accessory for measuring them.

A simple extraction procedure using water is recommended for measuring the pH of non-aqueous solutions containing water-immiscible solvents.

Most size measurements of colloidal silica are performed using dynamic light scattering instruments such as the SZ-100 Nanoparticle Analyzer. The LA-960 Laser Diffraction Analyzer can uniquely measure down to the 30 nm size range, so this laser diffraction instrument is also an option for such tests.

A broad collection of pigment, powder coatings, and ink products exist in particulate form in both the raw materials and finished products. The particle size distribution of these materials determines their appearance, quality, functionality and processability.

A colloid is typically a two phase system consisting of a continuous phase and dispersed phase. The particle size of the dispersed phase typically ranges from 1 nanometer to 1 micrometer. Examples of colloidal dispersions include solid/liquid (suspensions), liquid/liquid (emulsions), and gas/liquid (foams).

Particle size is a critical physical characteristic of pigments and laser diffraction is the most popular method of particle size analysis for the milling process, allowing close control and optimization of a number of final product performance criteria.

Nanoparticle gold is a suspension of sub-micron gold particles typically dispersed in water. Gold nanoparticles are of great interest for researchers in many fields due to their unique physical and optical properties. These properties change with the particle size distribution, so size analysis is an important measurement requirement.

In this application note, the particle sizes of two different silica dispersions are analyzed to demonstrate the utility of the SZ-100 for both suppliers and users of such materials.

Measuring the particle size of ink pigments was typically done using dynamic light scattering (DLS). Laser diffraction can also now be used to measure these pigments due to the state of the art enhancements in the LA-960.

Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) is a pigment used in paints and many other applications. The particle size of titanium dioxide directly impacts its performance in numerous applications, necessitating the measurement and control of this important property.

Pigment size can be readily measured by laser diffraction. This measurement requires less time, training and effort than a color strength measurement and provides useful information for the process engineer.

The use of security features, such as luminescent inks, has increased significantly in an attempt to prevent fraud and counterfeiting of materials and goods. Obvious applications of these inks include banknotes, branded goods, drug packaging and food security. Security inks can either show up overtly or be covert, with the latter driving the luminescence further from the visible spectral region into the ultraviolet (UV) and near infrared (NIR) regions. These are regions where light sources are not so common. The use of the luminescence lifetime on top of the wavelength signature adds an extra parameter that can be interrogated.

The use of metal surfaces in conjunction with fluorescence molecules employing a plasmon effect, sometimes referred to as metal enhanced fluorescence, can be advantageous because of the possible enhancement of photophysical properties.

The use of security features, such as luminescent inks, has increased significantly in an attempt to prevent fraud and counterfeiting of materials and goods.