前沿应用

在本文中，研究人员使用 SZ-100V2 纳米粒度分析仪对一种名为 LUDOX® TM-50 的胶态二氧化硅浆液的稳定性进行了评估。共分析了两个样品：一个来自新开封的瓶子，另一个来自已开封并储存超过一年的瓶子。通过测量并比较这两个样品的 Zeta 电位和粒径，展示了 SZ-100V2 如何有效监测胶态二氧化硅的稳定性。

对于大多数粒径分布分析仪而言，测量粒径小于 10 纳米的纳米颗粒通常颇具挑战，因为如此微小的颗粒产生的散射信号强度极低。动态光散射技术通常是唯一能够对这类微小颗粒进行粒径测定的方法，但该技术的绝对粒径检测下限往往未被深入探究。在本文中，研究人员采用 SZ-100V2 纳米粒度分析仪的纳米分析模式，对蔗糖溶液和阿洛酮糖溶液进行了测量，以探究该仪器的粒径检测下限。

随着工艺和产品的日益精细化，以及对更高分辨率粒径分布数据的需求不断增长，能够精确测量粒径低至 10 纳米的纳米颗粒，已成为众多领域的关键技术需求。在本应用说明中，我们采用 ViewSizer 3000 对经透射电子显微镜（TEM）图像验证的 10 纳米银纳米颗粒进行了测量。

在本文中，研究人员使用 SZ-100V2 纳米颗粒分析仪，通过两种不同的检测器角度与检测器位置设置，对粒径约 26 纳米的纳米金样品进行了测量。其中一种设置采用90°检测器并置于样品池中心位置，另一种设置则采用 173° 检测器并置于样品池壁位置。此外，我们还使用 Duetta 荧光与吸收光谱仪对纳米金样品的吸收光谱进行了验证。

单分散聚苯乙烯乳胶（PSL）标准颗粒常被用于验证激光衍射粒度分析仪的准确性和运行状态是否正常。由于这类材料与常规材料存在一定差异，因此必须采用适当的条件与操作流程，才能确保获得正确的测量结果。

本研究探讨了缩短测量时长如何影响数据获取速度与结果精度之间的平衡关系。

随着电动汽车及便携式设备对性能要求的持续提升，高性能电池研发及其材料物化特性监测需求将不断增长。在可充电锂离子电池领域，两类新型材料正获得更广泛应用：一类是作为正极材料的磷酸铁锂（LFP），另一类是作为负极材料的碳包覆硅。

浆料自动进样器是 LA-960V2 激光粒度仪的配套附件，可实现最多30个样品的自动化测量，帮助用户节省实验室操作时间。本案例中，通过对 26 支氧化铝（Al₂O₃）样品管的检测，验证了该系统具有优异的重复性。

量子点是一种通过人工合成的纳米颗粒，在医学成像、光伏发电及 LED 领域具有广阔应用前景。准确测定量子点的粒径分布，对优化其合成工艺路线具有关键指导作用。

水泥细度标准物质等标准参考物质的设计目的，在于为粒度分析仪器的校准提供可靠基准。其中，细度水平作为水泥行业质量控制的核心指标，直接影响水泥产品的性能评定与工艺优化。

金纳米颗粒是医学领域中的常用工具，其应用范围涵盖药物递送系统至电子显微镜标记技术。粒径与 Zeta 电位是影响这些系统性能的两大关键特性。

纳米气泡凭借其独特性质与跨领域的广阔应用潜力，已引发学界与产业界的广泛关注。伴随这一热潮而来的，是对气泡粒径分布、浓度参数及稳定性能进行精准表征的迫切需求。通过应用 HORIBA 的纳米颗粒追踪分析技术（NTA）与 Zeta 电位分析技术，科研人员得以突破传统检测局限，为揭示纳米气泡的微观行为机制提供创新解决方案。

金属纳米颗粒（亦称胶体金属）的研究历史可追溯至一个半世纪前*，其最早的科学文献记载已逾 150 年。此类材料涵盖纯金属与金属氧化物胶体两大类，在催化反应、铁磁流体、生物标记及众多新兴领域均展现出广泛的应用价值。

墨粉是电子照相打印和复印工艺必不可少的组成部分。合成的墨粉颗粒必须具有一些特殊的特性，包括粒度和形状，才能获得高质量和高分辨率的印刷图像。有研究表明，使用较小粒径的墨粉能有效实现高图像质量。本研究使用 HORIBA Partica LA-960V2 激光粒度分析仪对黑色墨粉的粒度分布进行了优化分析。

细胞外囊泡（EVs）是由细胞分泌的纳米级颗粒，其携带的生物信息在疾病诊断与治疗领域具有重要价值。然而，样本的采集、储存、预处理及分离纯化等环节，均会显著影响细胞外囊泡的产量及质量。

玻璃珠标准品是激光衍射粒度分析仪校准验证的常用基准物质，可有效检验设备的测量准确性与运行稳定性。针对 LA-960V2 干粉进样器，其配备的微量取样附件（Sniffer Attachment）专为小量样品设计，允许操作人员通过手动加样方式将待测颗粒导入仪器进行粒径分析。

单分散聚苯乙烯乳胶（PSL）标准颗粒是激光衍射粒度分析仪校准验证的核心基准物质，其单分散特性（粒径分布系数<1.05）与常规样品存在显著差异，因此必须严格遵循标准化操作流程并控制测试环境参数，方可确保测量结果的准确性与可靠性。

钛粉的粒度对最终产品的表面质量、涂层的品质与耐用性以及产品的机械强度均至关重要。此外，对粒度的监控有助于剔除大颗粒，防止其在增材制造过程中堵塞喷嘴。

氢氧化钙，又称熟石灰或消石灰，是一种在化学工业中广泛使用的粉末状物质。氢氧化钙的表面积在决定其化学反应的方式和速率方面起着关键作用。

高岭石是最为广泛分布且常见的黏土矿物之一，它是由长石等硅铝酸盐矿物经化学风化作用形成的软质矿物。为满足不同应用场景的需求，需对高岭石进行研磨处理，以获得目标粒径和表面积，这两者是决定其应用效果的关键因素。

碳酸钙在自然界中广泛存在，以多种形式呈现，如石灰石、白垩、大理石和方解石。了解并控制碳酸钙的表面积，有助于在制药到建筑等各个行业中优化配方，并取得更理想的效果。

膨润土矿床通常形成于曾有火山活动的区域，火山灰在此沉积并经历风化作用而成。它被称为膨胀性黏土，因其能吸收多达自身体积八倍的水分。得益于其独特的层状结构和微小的颗粒尺寸，膨润土具有极高的表面积。

羟基磷灰石是天然存在的钙磷灰石矿物形式。其独特的性质使其在多个领域和应用中发挥重要作用。它是脊椎动物骨骼和牙齿的主要矿物成分，也存在于牙本质和牙釉质等其他组织中。SA-9650 比表面积分析仪被证明是进行单点及多点分析以测量羟基磷灰石表面积的理想仪器。

石墨因独特的六边形晶格结构，由层层碳原子组成且层间易滑动，具备润滑性。其用途广泛，可作为工业润滑油中的干润滑剂；用于铅笔等书写工具；因高熔点和抗热震性成为耐火材料和冶金的关键成分；锂电池依靠其阳极储存释放能量；凭借优异导热导电性用于电子元件。此外，在石墨材料开发与性能优化时，对其表面积的研究十分关键，这会影响其实际应用表现。

氧化铝的表面积决定了其在许多应用中的反应活性、催化活性、吸附能力以及整体性能。表面积越大，意味着有更多暴露的位点可供化学反应发生。SA-9650 比表面积分析仪被证明是进行单点及多点分析以测量氧化铝表面积的理想仪器。

风味乳液是用于食品的浓缩调味剂。其风味成分可以是天然产物，也可以是合成物质，通过乳化处理使其更易于添加到食品中。进行相关分析时，需将浓缩乳液稀释于水中。稀释过程中，乳液稳定性可能下降，因此可能需要添加额外的表面活性剂来稳定稀释后的乳液体系。

LA-300 激光衍射粒度分析仪已停产。本文将展示 LA-350 的可靠性，并阐述实现成功方法转移与数据关联的关键要点。

基于激光衍射的粒度分析仪为营养保健品测量带来了与该技术在制药行业广受欢迎的相同优势：分析速度快、精度极高、配备适用于各类应用的样品处理系统，且测量粒径范围广泛。我们不难发现，粒度表征对营养保健品行业至关重要，因为此类信息不仅影响研发工作，还关乎质量控制。

豆沙是一种经研磨的豆类制品，其中含有大块的种皮以及大小不一的研磨子叶（即豆类的肉质部分）。这些成分的粒度会直接影响最终产品的口感、风味和质地。为确保产品品质稳定，企业应制定相应流程，对不同批次及不同生产场所的产品粒度进行监测和控制。

氧化铁（Fe₂O₃和Fe₃O₄）是具有磁性的黑色材料。经硅氧烷（或甲硅酮，根据具体化学命名习惯调整）处理后，颗粒表面获得了一定的“滑爽性”，从而提升了色彩饱和度，同时仍保持磁性。由此制得的黑色颜料主要应用于化妆品制造领域。

面粉是谷物研磨后的产物。通常情况下，其粒度分布范围较广，且具体粒径会因所需最终产品的不同而有所差异。面粉颗粒在湿法测量时容易发生膨胀。针对这一问题，可采用乙醇作为分散介质，并结合序列程序来尽可能实现测量过程的自动化。而当采用干法测量时，所得数据会与湿法测量结果高度吻合，且无需担心颗粒膨胀的问题。

外泌体是直径 30-150 纳米的细胞外囊泡，广泛存在于原核和真核生物中，并分布于血液、尿液等多种体液中。其内部携带蛋白质、脂质、核酸等生物活性成分，可参与细胞间通讯，调控免疫应答、组织再生等生理过程，但也可能促进癌症转移和神经退行性疾病发展。由于外泌体成分反映母细胞状态，它在疾病诊断方面具有重要潜力。此外，外泌体可作为药物载体，实现靶向递送，尤其是其穿越血脑屏障的能力，为中枢神经系统疾病治疗提供了新途径。干细胞来源的外泌体还具有促进组织修复的功能。

用于颗粒表征的分析技术有多种。其中，激光衍射法以其操作简单、测试范围宽、测量速度快等优点广泛应用于各个领域。研究人员将该技术与图像分析单元（LY-9610）相结合，可以实时对比经典参数值 D10、D50、D90的颗粒，同时还能获取颗粒形状或分散状态的相关信息。在氧化铝的测量实验中，我们证实了图像分析单元作为激光衍射分析的补充分析手段具有实用价值。

为了使油漆和涂料具备优秀的色彩表现，其颗粒粒径应小于1至2微米。因此，精确掌握粒径分布成为研究的核心要素之一。本研究借助先进的 HORIBA LA-960V2 激光粒度分布分析仪，对两种不同品质的涂料样品中的碳酸钙进行了粒度分布的深入分析。 碳酸钙，作为地球上储量极为丰富的矿物之一，其应用领域极为广泛。在水性油漆和涂料行业中，它因其独特的白色外观而被大量用作填充剂和颜料的成分，占比通常在 20% 至 60% 之间。在涂料的配方中，碳酸钙的粒径控制对于多种关键性能具有决定性影响，包括但不限于涂料的粘度、分散稳定性、不透明度以及着色强度。这些特性对于从事涂料化学研究的科研人员而言至关重要。

氧化石墨烯是一种具有高纵横比和高表面积的纳米碳材料。它具有片状结构，其厚度约为1 nm，长度约为几到 几十微米。

氧化石墨烯是一种具有高纵横比和高表面积的纳米碳材料。它具有片状结构，其厚度约为1 nm，长度约为几到 几十微米。此外，它含有丰富的氧官能团，且具备独特的 “高分散性”，这些特性让氧化石墨烯有别于其他纳米碳材料（碳纳米管和石墨烯），更容易与各种材料结合，尤其适用于涂膜或功能膜。近年来，随着人们对氧化石墨烯 的研究逐渐深入，其在新一代电池材料、抗菌抗病毒物 质、涂料、润滑剂、水净化、催化剂等功能材料中的得到 了广泛的应用。 多项研究分析指出，得益于氧化石墨烯独特的属性，当其被掺入不同主体材料时，会随之表现出不同的功能。而在结构方面，少量添加时，氧化石墨烯能够在薄膜材料中构建出网状结构。因此，氧化石墨烯十分适合使用在膜和薄膜形状材料中。 Particle CENTRIFUGE / CN-300 离心式纳米粒度分析仪可用于具有宽泛粒径分布的单分散石墨烯的分散状态评估。

金纳米棒是一种棒状的金纳米颗粒，可应用于显色材料、传感材料、生物标志物、DDS 研究材料、光热转换材料、光敏剂等领域。本文使用 HORIBA Partica CENTRIFUGE CN-300 离心式粒度分析仪对金纳米棒的粒径分布进行分析。

碳纳米管因重量轻、强度高、耐腐蚀等优势，在电池材料等领域潜力巨大。其导电、导热及耐热性能卓越，掺杂可提升材料相关性能、增强强度。

本文采用包含十四种不同粒径的单分散聚苯乙烯乳胶（PSL）混合样品，对离心沉降法的分辨率及定量分析能力进行了评估。

A mixed sample of five sizes of monodispersed PSL was used to evaluate the resolution and quantitative capability of the centrifugal sedimentation method.

Certified National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable polystyrene latex (PSL) size standards made by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TFS) were used to evaluate the resolution of the centrifugal sedimentation method.

Silica particle size standards with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable certified mean diameters are suitable for a wide variety of particle measurement applications. This time, four types of monodispersed colloidal silica Sigma-AldrichTM (SA) were mixed to evaluate the resolution and quantitative capability of the centrifugal sedimentation method.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are needle-like materials with a width of about 5-20 nm and a length of about 100-250 nm defibrated using chemical treatment. It is important to understand the fiber size and dispersion state. It is necessary to have an analysis method that can quickly evaluate a wide ranges of particle size distribution for separated particles to agglomerates.

Nanocellulose is a fibrous material derived from wood and is used as composite materials, etc. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are needle-like materials with a width of about 5-20 nm and a length of about 100-250 nm defibrated using chemical treatment.

Nanocellulose is a fibrous substance derived from wood and is attracting attention as a cutting-edge material. Cellulose nanofibers (CNF) manufactured by TEMPO oxidation are cellulose fibers that have added carboxy groups at high density.

Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) technology is used as an indispensable fundamental technology in the manufacturing process of ultra-large-scale semiconductor integrated circuits (ULSI).

A colloid is typically a two phase system consisting of a continuous phase (the dispersion medium) and dispersed phase (the particles or emulsion droplets). The particle size of the dispersed phase typically ranges from 1 nanometer to 1 micrometer.

A virus particle consists of several parts including the genetic material (DNA or RNA), a protein coat that protects these genes, and in some cases an envelope of lipids that surrounds the protein coat when they are outside a cell. The size of viruses ranges from a few tens to a few hundreds of nm, which is equal to 1/100 to 1/1000 of the cell (a few to a few tens of μm in size) of any other common living organism.

Single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT’s) have unique mechanical and electronic properties and therefore have attracted much interest. These nanotubes consist of rolled up single sheets of carbon atoms and due to the high aspect ratio and nature of the C-C bonds have unique properties. A number of techniques are necessary to obtain a complete picture of these complex materials.

Plastic is a type of material that is resistant to degradation and is practically indestructible. While plastic will break down into fragments and become nanoplastics via photo-oxidative mechanisms, plastic fundamentally remains the same throughout the process. The concern of water contamination from nanoplastics is, therefore, a study receiving close scrutiny from FDA and EPA alike.

Mineral-based sunscreens have gained popularity due to their excellent ability to scatter ultraviolet (UV) rays without causing photo-induced skin irritation from chemical-based sunscreens. Three over-the-counter zine oxide sunscreens were purchased and analyzed using Partica LA-960V2 Laser Diffraction Particle Size Analyzer. A standard 15 mL fraction cell accessory fitted with a magnetic stir bar was chosen for this experiment.

Paper is manufactured from wood fiber slurries, fillers, sizing agents, and coatings. To control certain optical and printing properties of paper, certain materials may be used during the manufacturing process. The particle size distribution of these materials directly affects properties such as gloss, brightness, opacity, color bleed, ink mileage, and more.

Several different compounds are used for melting snow. The most common is sodium chloride, also known as halite. Although it can damage roads and plants when misused, halite is inexpensive and useful under many conditions. Other materials include urea, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, and calcium chloride.

Extracting useful minerals is an arduous and technically demanding process. First, any material on top of the deposit, known as overburden, must be removed or tunneled through. In the next step, the ore is blasted or cut and loaded and hauled to the mill for the secondary crushing and grinding which prepares the material for its intended use.

Hydraulic fracturing is used in the oil and gas industry to increase the flow of oil and/or gas from a well. Hydraulic pressure and then proppants (propping agents) are pumped into the oil well with fracturing fluid to hold the fissures open so that the natural gas or crude oil can flow up the well. The proppant size, shape, and mechanical strength influences the integrity of the newly created fractures, and therefore the flow of oil and gas out of the well.

The importance of particle size for power plants is found in their ability to meet environmental regulations while controlling capital expenditures and operating costs. This application page will show how investing in particle size analysis helps control operating costs and improve margins for power plants.

Particle size determination is an important parameter for any particulate system and it plays a vital role in the quality of diverse products manufactured by the food industry as well. In this study, particle size of wheat flour is measured by laser diffraction technology that has emerged as the most important and effective technique in the world of particle size analysis.

Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) technology is used as an essential fundamental technology in the manufacturing process of large-scale semiconductor integrated circuits (LSI). Colloidal silica are widely used as CMP slurries because of their clean spherical shape created by the sol-gel method, which causes less polishing damage. Since it is used for very precise polishing, its particle size is controlled with extremely high quality, and the particle size analyzer used for it must have high resolution and measurement repeatability.

Lithium ion battery (LiB) electrodes are fabricated by mixing active material particles and conductive agents in a dispersing solution, then coating the uniformly mixed slurry on a metal current collector and drying it. Since the dispersion of the active material and the conductive agent contributes to the performance of the battery, it is important to understand and control the mixing and kneading conditions.

In general particle size analyzers, particles of the same size are measured as the same size regardless of material, making it difficult to separate particles of different materials when they are mixed together. The centrifugal sedimentation particle size analyzer measures the sedimentation speed and converts it into a particle size value using the density information of the particles.

Nanocellulose is a fibrous material derived from wood that is applied to composite materials and is attracting attention as an advanced material. Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) are mechanically disintegrated materials with a diameter of 4~20nm, while cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are chemically disintegrated, needle-like materials with a diameter of 4~10nm. In order to actually utilize nanocellulose, it is important to understand the fiber diameter and dispersion state.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are thin, light, and flexible string-like materials with a minimum diameter of less than 1 nm that are composed entirely of carbon atoms. Because of their high electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and heat resistance, CNTs are being developed for a variety of applications as next-generation materials. On the other hand, CNTs easily aggregate, so it is essential to understand and control the state of aggregation in order to achieve the expected performance.

In this Application Note, we will focus on the importance of monitoring particle size and distribution range throughout two different processing technologies used to improve shelf-life and efficacy of CBD products.

Careful control of the particulates in whiskey is an important step to quality flavor and color. Inadequate monitoring of particle size impedes the final product stability, consistency, quality, and price. In this note, the particle science behind these determining factors will be thoroughly examined and explained.

The complexity of viral particles remains one of the biggest hurdles in the development process. In this note, the upstream process of analyzing viral preparations is addressed, as well as the use of multi-laser nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) as a cost and time efficient method to measure size, count virus particles, and correlate to infectious titer.

Polymers are large molecules made from repeating structural units connected by covalent chemical bonds. We often use the word ‘plastic’ to refer to polymeric materials, but polymers also include a wide range of natural materials such as proteins, DNA, cellulose, shellac and amber.

This note covers the history, theory and processes used for emulsion polymerization. It also examines the importance of measuring the concentration of latex nanoparticles produced by emulsion polymerization for a biotech application developed by the Gianneschi lab at UCSD. The Gianneschi case study includes data from the ViewSizer 3000.

In this note, we will briefly explore the history of powder metallurgy and then examine the importance of powder quality to the production of nanomaterials. Using a case study from the Vecchio lab at the University of California, San Diego, we will highlight the necessity of accurate particle sizing in the production of nanoparticles by spark erosion.

Nanobubbles are submicron gas-filled cavities in an aqueous medium. By virtue of formulation and manufacturing, they remain suspended in liquid for a long time. From mitigating the excess toxins in lakes to enhancing the health benefit of your everyday beverages, scrub-free cleaning to wellness and health applications, nanobubbles are set to disrupt industrial norms with their unique physiochemical characteristics.

Nanotechnology is not an industry, but rather a broad based field of study focused on materials and applications occurring at a very small scale. In general most people accept that nanotechnology deals with structures that are 100 nanometers (nm) or smaller and involves developing materials or devices within that size.

A feasibility study to measure low specific surface areas with the SA-9600 Series was performed using Certified Reference Materials BCR 169, 170 and 172 from the European Commission Joint Research Centre. The reference materials consist of two alpha-alumina powders and one quartz powder, with certified values 0.1, 1.05, 2.56 m2/gram, respectively.

Protein aggregation is an important concern when developing and manufacturing biotherapeutics since these subvisible aggregate particles have been associated with the adverse drug reactions. Protein aggregates may provoke adverse events through an unwanted immune response. And, regardless of mechanism of reaction, subvisible particle contamination has been a concern for manufacturers and regulators.

Size matters in vaccine delivery systems. Nanoparticles smaller than 200 nm generally present a greater immunogenic response than micro-particles larger than 1 micron. This rather simple statement is based on the common understanding that particles with sizes resembling the dimensions of viruses are treated like viruses by the body.

In this study, we demonstrate the ViewSizer 3000’s capabilities as a next generation NTA based analysis instrument in order to accurately and efficiently measure and characterize extracellular vesicles (EV) via particle size and concentration.

Soy milk is an increasingly important source of protein. As in cow’s milk, particle size is important for customer acceptance. HORIBA laser diffraction analyzers can be used to characterize soy milk. Measurements with the LA-960 particle size analyzer show significant differences in particle size distribution with soy milk price.

The study of protein aggregation encompasses a broad range of interactions and mechanisms. Many studies into this subject area investigate the aggregation of misfolded proteins, which is thought to be responsible for many degenerative diseases. Since aggregation typically leads to a physical change in protein size, particle size analysis has proven to be a useful experimental technique in this field.

The ViewSizer 3000 enables scientists to visualize and quantify the kinetics of protein aggregation in real-time for biologic therapeutics under a variety of stress conditions including agitation, temperature and the addition of contaminants. The case study featured here validates these capabilities for agitation and temperature stress conditions with the 100 mg/mL mAb A.

Mayonnaise is one of the most popular condiments world-wide and is prepared in many different ways. As health conscious consumers begin to scrutinize the ingredients on nutrition labels, there is growing pressure on manufacturers to create a mayonnaise product with lower cholesterol, lower calories, and healthier oil content while maintaining the consistent taste and mouthfeel of regular mayonnaise.

This study focuses on the critical particle diameter of dry sugar granules as particle diameter is an indicator of: Flowability, Dissolution and mixing, and Powder uniformity.

The particle size of piezoelectric ceramics plays a crucial role in calcination and sintering temperature, which affects the processing time, and, subsequently, the performance of the final pressed component. It is for this reason that particle size analysis is used at different stages of the manufacturing process.

Latex is an important application for dynamic light scattering. In addition, monodisperse latex standards are often used to evaluate instrument performance. Often, issues with the results are due to issues with the sample. This note discusses sample preparation.

In this study, the LA-960 laser diffraction particle size analyzer was used to perform particle size distribution measurements on various materials used in the creation of lithium ion batteries.

Particle size is intimately related to hiding power in pigments. Due to its speed and wide size measurement range, laser diffraction is an ideal tool for tracking the grinding process and therefore controlling the resulting pigment performance. Laser diffraction results rapidly tell the manufacturer when a product is at the right particle size or distribution width and, therefore, allows optimum use of manufacturing equipment.

Polyelectrolytes are polymer chains with an electrolyte group on every repeat unit. These polymers are charged when dissolved in a polar solvent due to dissociation of small counterions that leave behind a charged macro ion. In addition to synthetic polymers, the topic of this note, polyeletrolytes include biologically important molecules such as polypeptides and DNA.

The isoelectric point, IEP, of a colloidal system is determined automatically with the SZ-100Z and Autotitrator from HORIBA Instruments. Zeta potential data as a function of pH is collected while the author is drinking coffee and writing support documents.

Titanium dioxide is present in many aspects of everyday life, its inclusion in commonplace goods often surprising. TiO2's utility in sunscreen -- affecting SPF and opacity -- is better known than its presence as a whitener in skim milk. The particle size of titanium dioxide directly impacts its performance in numerous applications, necessitating the measurement and control of this important property.

The utility of many industrially produced materials, such as emulsions, is often determined by the particle size. Dynamic light scattering provides fast, accurate and repeatable nanoparticle size information and is, therefore, an important tool for the nanoparticle technologist. Laser diffraction can also be used to characterize these important materials.

Manipulating the surface charge of suspended particles significantly improves wastewater treatment efficiency. Lowering the magnitude of surface charge allows particles to aggregate. This is often achieved by adding inorganic coagulants and polymeric flocculants. Zeta potential measurements with the SZ-100 determine the effect of different coagulants and concentrations.

Suspended solids are a common impurity in wastewater from industrial and mining operations. In order to meet requirements for water clarity for reuse or discharge, the suspended solids are often allowed to settle to the bottom or float (cream) to the top of large tanks. The duration of these processes is a strong function of the particle size, e.g. larger particles settle/cream faster.

Using the SZ-100 Nanoparticle Analyzer, the concentration of additive needed to reduce the zeta potential of wastewater suspended solids to zero can be reliably evaluated and so the efficiency of different additives can be readily compared. Particulate aggregation is typically achieved through the use of additives: coagulants (inorganic) and flocculants (polymeric). In this note, the effect of coagulant choice and concentration on the treatment of suspended clays is analyzed.

Protein scientists typically discuss “protein size” or molecular weight, as opposed to using the phrase “particle size”, but particle size analyzers are often used in their studies. There is also interest in the surface charge or valence of proteins, so zeta potential is another measurement used by protein chemists.

Zeta potential is a key physical parameter that describes surface charge on proteins. Although there has been interest in measuring the zeta potential of proteins for many years, the measurements were often difficult due to a variety of reasons including the “cooking” of proteins on the cell electrodes when using light scattering techniques.

Colloidal silicas are typically aqueous suspensions in the range of 30 – 500 nm in diameter. They are usually stabilized electrostatically and have densities in the range of 2.1 to 2.3 g/cm3. Applications for colloidal silicas include fillers, binders, abrasives, catalysts, and absorbants.

The utility of silica nanoparticles is often determined by the particle size. Dynamic light scattering provides fast, accurate and repeatable nanoparticle size information and therefore is an important tool for the nanoparticle technologist. Here, two different size silica particles are characterized with the SZ-100 in order to demonstrate the accuracy and utility of the instrument.

Dynamic light scattering provides fast, accurate, and repeatable nanoparticle size information. Applications include metal and oxide powders, latexes, drug delivery vehicles, and dozens of other materials. The SZ-100 is a dynamic light scattering instrument that is ideal for these nanoparticle samples.

Nanoparticles used for drug delivery is an important research field combining the life sciences with nanotechnology. While the strict definition of a nanoparticle is between 1 – 100 nm, we can extend the upper size range in the context of this application up to approximately 500 nm. Laser diffraction provides the advantage of being able to measure larger particles.

Considerable research has been conducted exploring the use of nanoparticles composed of biopolymers as a drug delivery vehicle. Much of the particle size analysis in this field has been done using dynamic light scattering (DLS). However, certain materials will feature larger particles that are outside the upper size range of DLS, but within the capability of laser diffraction.

Zeta potential is an indicator of dispersion stability. The zeta potential of any dispersion is influenced by the surface chemistry. The surface chemistry can be changed by any number of means including a change in the pH, salt concentration, surfactant concentration, and other formulation options. It is, therefore, frequently desirable to determine how pH affects the zeta potential of a dispersion.

Zeta potential is the charge on a particle at the shear plane. This value of surface charge is useful for understanding and predicting interactions between particles in suspension. A large magnitude (either positive or negative), that is, over about 25 mV, zeta potential is generally considered an indication that the particle suspension will be electrostatically stabilized.

Nanoparticle gold (also known as colloidal 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.

Quality beans ground to the ideal size produces a perfect cup of coffee. It sounds like a simple process, but there is a great deal that takes place before a single drop is brewed. This note focuses on how the size of the grind affects the flavor of the coffee and the reasons the LA-960 Laser Diffraction Analyzer offers undeniable advantages in measurement accuracy and speed over historical sieving techniques.

The particle size distribution of active ingredients and excipients is an important physical characteristic of the materials used to create pharmaceutical products. The size, distribution and shape of the particles can affect bulk properties, product performance, processability, stability and appearance of the end product.

Chemical mechanical polishing (or planarization) is the most popular technique for removing the surface irregularities of silicon wafers. Typical CMP slurries consist of a nano-sized abrasive dispersed in acidic or basic solution. The abrasive particles have a size distribution which directly affects critical metrics including rate of removal and wafer defects. Particle size analysis is therefore a key indicator of CMP slurry performance.

Particle size analysis is only one of several required analytical tests for R&D formulators. New product formulations can often cost thousands of dollars per gram to manufacture. Considering that many tests destroy the sample material, formulators greatly benefit from minimizing the amount of sample required.

Foods we love rely on flavorings (or flavorants) to enhance their taste. Flavorants can reduce the costs of food processing while allowing a healthier diet. For maximum impact, particle size is important. Chefs and food scientists look beyond the name of the flavor and consider how it behaves during cooking and manufacturing. Much of this depends on particle size.

Quality control is an essential part of the sugar production. Sugar particle size specifications affect product dissolution rate, flowability, dust generation, and directly affects applications such as the spread of cookie dough or compaction strength of a chewable tablet. Traditionally, sugar manufacturers have chosen to use sieving analysis due to its low initial cost and its seemingly simple operating procedure. In this study, the LA-960V2’s ability to rapidly analyze particle separation and the particle size of powdered sugar at its de-agglomerated state is demonstrated.

Nutraceuticals are the intersection of nutrition and pharmaceutical and is an umbrella term that can also include functional foods and dietary supplements. Nutraceutical researchers working to improve the bioavailability, biocompatibility, and stability of various formulations measure particle size, particle shape, and zeta potential.

Virtually any metal can be made into a powder through processes including atomization, electrolysis, chemical reduction, and size comminution. The metal powder can then be used to fabricate parts from simple to complex shape. The technique and study of these processes is known as powder metallurgy, a field of study well acquainted with particle characterization. The size distribution and shape of the powder metal particles influences the physical properties of the parts created.

Many cosmetic products include particulate material or emulsions. Some examples of cosmetic products consisting of or including particulates include facial powders, moisturizers, and lipstick.

Measuring and controlling the particle size distribution of cement is important both in order to achieve the desired product performance and to control manufacturing costs. Historic techniques of sieve and air permeability are still in use, but laser diffraction is becoming a more popular method to determine the particle size distribution of cement.

Laser diffraction is one of the most widely used methods for particle size analysis of micron and submicron size powders and dispersions. It is quick and easy and provides very consistent, repeatable information. Since these instruments use scattered light intensity to determine particle size, knowledge of the optical properties, specifically the complex refractive index of the material being analyzed is required.

Particle size analysis plays a crucial role in the manufacture of electronic materials for dielectric applications. These materials include single-phase powders such as barium titanate as well as formulations that contain many different oxide phases. In all cases, the particle size distribution has a great impact on their processing and performance.

Products used in ceramic and abrasive applications are invariably produced from powders. Particle size distribution has profound effects on processing and function of these products. These materials include most oxides and minerals from aluminum oxide to zirconium oxide. Depending on the application, particle size can effect densification, transport and mechanical properties.

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC’s) offer the potential to greatly reduce man’s dependence on coal and oil for the production of electricity. They are clean, quiet and efficient. At the heart of these devices lies a complex combination of polycrystalline ceramic materials, each having to meet a particular set of structural and electrochemical requirements. Engineers control the performance of each component through manipulation of chemical and physical properties of the starting powders.

Developing an appropriate method for measuring particle size distribution of powders dispersed in air using laser diffraction requires a structured approach. The basic goals for developing a dry method include: place a representative sample into the analyzer, disperse the sample using a pressure that breaks up agglomerates but not individual particles, choose appropriate system settings for measurement, and test for reproducibility.

Pharmaceutical companies are beginning to refer to the USP <429> test as a guideline when using laser diffraction for particle size analysis. This document provides useful background material and offers specific advice on testing reproducibility and verifying accuracy using polydisperse standards.

Developing an appropriate testing method for measuring particle size distribution in liquids using laser diffraction requires a structured approach. A number of parameters of the test method must be evaluated including sampling, solvent, refractive index, dispersion, system settings, and concentration. These parameters may have a significant effect on the reported results, so each must be carefully evaluated.

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. These samples cover an extremely broad range of size distributions.

Particle size is a critical physical characteristic of pigments, affecting many performance factors including gloss and tinctorial strength. 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.

Soil and sediments scientists have long understood the importance of particle size distribution to their field. Practically every aspect of soil water flow, carbon and nitrogen content, acidity, aeration, and nutrient availability is related to particle size.

Particle size analysis of a geologic area can reveal critical information about the region’s formation, history and climate. Particle characterization is an important tool for studying changes in geology and climate over time, mode of formation, and current environmental effects related to pollution transport, erosion, and sediment transport.

Many food products exist in particulate form ranging from powders to emulsions, suspensions and pellets. The size distribution of the particulates can affect the taste, appearance, stability, processability, and functionality of the final product.

The chocolate production process today is a marriage between technology and craftsmanship. Generally, the presence of particles above 30 µm leads to poor mouth-feel. It is perceived as gritty. Meanwhile, particles below 20 µm feels silky and smooth. Below 30 µm, 2-3 µm of a particle size difference can be detected by the tongue as a different level of smoothness. Therefore, monitoring, standardizing and setting specifications for particle size testing is a critical and necessary measure for quality control across chocolate plants.

Asphalt emulsions are droplets of asphalt dispersed in water with the aid of an emulsifying agent. Particle size of the asphalt droplets is critical to stability and application performance. Asphalt emulsions are manufactured by a high-speed, high shear mechanical device (usually a colloid mill) that divides the asphalt into tiny droplets and disperses it in the water. Typical products have a size range from sub-micron up to ten microns, with an average particle size in the one to five micron range. Variation in settings, raw materials, and requirements of the final product will vary both the average size and distribution width.

Asphalt emulsions have made the manufacturing and storage of road construction materials simpler and less expensive than previous methods. Asphalt emulsions are droplets of asphalt dispersed in water with the aid of an emulsifying agent. The particle size of the asphalt droplets is critical to stability and application performance

Milk is an emulsion that is often homogenized to reduce the average particle size. That improves its consistency and extends its shelf life. The homogenization process is expensive, but careful control of the process can improve quality, and thus, reduce operating costs. That’s where particle characterization comes in.

Liposomes are bilayer vesicles made of phospholipids derived from natural or man-made materials. They are mainly used in the pharmaceutical field for treatment of cancers as carriers of chemotherapeutic drugs to the tumor area. Accurate and rapid measurement of the size of liposomes is essential for novel and effective drug delivery systems.

Dendrimers are repetitively branched molecules typically symmetric around the core, often adopting a spherical three-dimensional morphology. A dendron usually contains a single chemically addressable group called the focal point.

There are several zeta potential cell options for the SZ-100V2 including disposable plastic cells intended to last for several measurements before being replaced. This study investigates how many measurements could be made before the cell required replacement.

Inks are a liquid dispersion of pigments for writing or printing. The product is a mixture of a number of components, the majority being the pigment particles in some liquid carrier. A number of additives are usually included to modify viscosity, drying, stability, or color characteristics. Particle size of the pigment particles can significantly affect the color strength, surface finish, and durability of the final product.

Plastic powders are used in a number of applications or as an intermediate stage of a manufacturing process. Particle size can have a significant effect on the final product performance and on process parameters. Because of their hydrophobic nature and solubility in some organic solvents, they are commonly measured as a dry powder.

Measurement of the particle size of soil and sediment sample is a critical part of understanding the geological history of a particular area. The nature of most samples is a wide range of particle sizes, from sub-micron clay up to sand and gravel. The wide measurement range of the LA-960 allows samples to be run very quickly and to cover the size range in one analysis.

Customers are often interested in identifying a small fraction of large particles or small particles in their sample. Some specifications call for all of their material to be below a certain size. Examples include CMP slurries, pharmaceuticals, milled food products, industrial powders, among others.

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable polymer derived from lactic acid. It exhibits many properties that are equivalent to or better than many petroleum-based plastics, which makes it suitable for a variety of applications. Properties include the ability to accept coatings, inks and adhesives, and being an effective flavor and aroma barrier.

Four mono-dispersed polystyrene latex (PSL) standards with certified mean diameters 3.0 µm, 4.00 µm, 5.10 µm and 10.00 µm were tested with both the LA-960 high performance laser diffraction system and the LA-350. Both instruments, offering different optical systems, provide consistent results within the specifications.

Resins are employed in several industries for numerous uses including the processing of textiles, paper, and leather. Synthetic resins are often manufactured through polymerization or polycondensation reactions. A desirable property of resins is that they will dry from a viscous liquid to a variable state of hardness and elasticity. Particulate sizes of these materials are indicative of purity, therefore measurement proffers quality control.

Chromium oxide is a green material. The dimethicone treatment adds a degree of “slip” to the particles allowing for better color saturation. The resulting green pigment is predominantly used in cosmetics manufacturing.

Magnetite (also known as lodestone) is a naturally occurring magnetic mineral. Magnetite is used in various applications from speaker production and high speed disk drives to a color additive in cement.

Vanadium Pentoxide is used as a catalyst and an additive to steel. In other industries it is used in various items such as a colorant for ceramics and pigment compounds, batteries, die fixer, and vitamins. Vanadium Oxide is slightly soluble in water so measurement in an organic solvent or as a dry powder is recommended. For particularly small sample medians, the high-dispersion nozzle will be needed.

Alumina (aluminum oxide) has widespread use in the ceramics industry for refractory materials, abrasives, and porcelain. Many different sizes and chemically modified grades are available. Particle size affects the manufacturing and mechanical properties of these components, including packing density and mechanical strength of the final part.

Boron carbide (B4C) is one of the hardest materials known, after diamond and cubic boron nitride, and the hardest material produced in tonnage quantities. Due to its high hardness, boron carbide is used as many abrasive applications or to make highly abrasion-resistant parts such as nozzles.

Silicon carbide (SiC) has a range of physical properties that makes it a versatile and useful material. It is one of the hardest materials known, second only to diamond, has a relatively low density (approximately the same as aluminum), good wear and corrosion resistance and low thermal expansion and high thermal conductivity leading to excellent thermal shock resistance.

Antimony trioxide, also called antimony white, has the formula Sb203 with a structure dependant on the temperature. It is used as a flame retardant, pigment, and catalyst. Antimony trioxide is mainly produced via the smelting of stibnite ore, which is oxidized to crude Sb2O3 using furnaces operating at approximately 850 to 1,000 °C.

The Flowing Gas Technique for determining BET Surface Area has been in use for over 70 years. Many facets of the technology make it a very attractive alternative to the Static-Volumetric approach. First and foremost is the fact that the detection is done by measuring a gas concentration difference instead of an absolute pressure. Difference measurements are typically more accurate than many absolute measurements.

A silver colloid is a suspension with a dispersed phase consisting of silver particles between 1 nm – 1 um evenly dispersed in a continuous phase. The sample can be considered to be on the nanoparticle scale if the size of the dispersed phase particles is between 1-100 nm.

A copper colloid is a suspension with a dispersed phase consisting of copper particles between 1 nm – 1 um evenly dispersed in a continuous phase. The sample can be considered to be on the nanoparticle scale if the size of the dispersed phase particles is between 1-100 nm.

A platinum colloid is a suspension with a dispersed phase consisting of platinum particles between 1 nm – 1 um evenly dispersed in a continuous phase, in this case water. The sample can be considered to be on the nanoparticle scale if the size of the dispersed phase particles is between 1-100 nm.

A palladium colloid is a suspension with a dispersed phase consisting of palladium particles between 1 nm – 1 um evenly dispersed in a continuous phase, in this case DMF. The sample can be considered to be on the nanoparticle scale if the size of the dispersed phase particles is between 1-100 nm.

The MiniFlow option fills the need for a low volume (30-50 ml), solvent resistant pumping system for the LA-960. Certain materials may be too expensive or too difficult to produce in the quantity required by the standard circulation system. Additionally, the MiniFlow accessory is preferable for those applications where the generation of hazardous waste should be minimized.

Certain types of materials are encapsulated in wax (or other intermediate material) for a final product use or as an intermediate stage in a manufacturing process. Examples include pigments, fillers in polymers, or in this example, catalyst in wax. If the size of the encapsulated particles is of primary interest, the analysis method must find a way to remove the intermediate phase to suspend the primary particles.

Talc is a naturally occurring mineral ranging in color from white to various shades of gray and green. Some talc is red to brown usually the result of impurities. Talc is used in a wide range of manufactured products; it can be found in paper (as a filler), face and talcum powder, soap, fireproof roofing, lubricants, electrical insulation, and pottery.

The Partica LA-960V2 is a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer known for its wide dynamic range, speed, accuracy, and precision. This has lead to a number of class-leading performance specifications that can easily be demonstrated in its particle size and shape measurement results.

Every laser diffraction system should be verified on a regular basis. The frequency of verification depends on usage and risk assessment but most industries agree that once a year is the minimum requirement. Many laboratories struggle with choosing which standard to use to test their systems. This document will discuss the current recommendations on options for verifying LA-series laser diffraction systems.

Performing a particle size analysis is the best way to answer the question: What size are those particles? Once the analysis is complete the user has a variety of approaches for reporting the result. A better approach is to report both a central point of the distribution along with one or more values to describe the width of the distribution. Other approaches also exist as described in this document.

The LA-960V2 combines the most popular modern sizing technique with state of the art refinements to measure wet and dry samples. The central idea in laser diffraction is that a particle will scatter light at an angle determined by that particle’s size. This technical note explains the basic underlying principles used by the LA-960V2 particle size analyzer.

The creation of a meaningful and product-appropriate particle size specification requires knowledge of its effect on product performance in addition to an understanding of how results should be interpreted for a given technique. This technical note provides guidelines for setting particle size specifications on particulate materials.

Proper method development when using laser diffraction requires investigating the effect of changing system or measurement parameters on calculated results. One of the measurement parameters that should be examined is sample concentration. This technical note explains how concentration affects results and makes recommendations for proper method development.

The praseodymium powder supplied to the applications lab was a dark brown powder. Praseodymium is a soft, silvery, malleable and ductile metal in the lanthanide group. The apparent density is 6.8 kg/m3 and is paramagnetic at any temperature above 1 K. This material is insoluble in water, but soluble in strong acid.

Zeta potential is a measure of the charge on suspended particles. This property is typically more important for suspensions of small particles where there is high surface area and significant particle – particle interactions. While there is no theoretical upper particle size limit for zeta potential measurements, there are physical constraints in making useful measurements, which are addressed in this note.

There are several zeta potential cell options for the SZ-100V2 including disposable plastic cells intended to last for several measurements before being replaced. This study investigates how many measurements could be made before the cell required replacement. After 800 measurements the experiment was stopped, but the same cell was then used for other, more difficult studies.

Every laser diffraction system should be verified on a regular basis. Customers using the LA-960V2 laser diffraction analyzer can easily and automatically verify performance following the accepted standards ISO13320 and USP<429>. This document provides a description of the automated verification features and how to use them.

Particle size distributions are not always single peak, symmetric, or beautiful. In the real world many sample analysis results include two or more distinct populations. Data interpretation can be more difficult for multimodal results. For this reason advanced reporting capabilities are built into the LA-960V2 software as described in this document.

Dynamic light scattering (DLS) results are often expressed in terms of the Z-average. The Z-average arises when DLS data is analyzed by the use of the technique of cumulants. Since the calculation of the Z-average is mathematically stable, the Z-average result is insensitive to noise. And that makes it a preferred DLS size parameter. The purpose of this document is to clarify the meaning of this value.

An instrument-to-instrument variation study was performed with 2 standards on 30 randomly selected units of the HORIBA LA-350 laser diffraction particle size analyzer. One standard was a monodisperse polystyrene latex and the other was a polydisperse particle standard. The average values collected from multi-instrument analysis are well within the uncertainties set out by each respective reference materials.

Repeatability, reproducibility, and instrument to instrument agreement are important performance characteristics of any analytical instrument. This technical note presents multiple data sets that prove the excellent performance customers can expect from the LA-960V2 particle size analyzer.

Particle size analysis may be slightly different than other analytical techniques in so far as result correlation from one system to another is concerned. This technical note investigates the sources of result differences and makes recommendations to analysts attempting to improve data correlation.

The SZ-100V2 can be used to determine the molecular weight of proteins, starches, polymers, dendrimers, and other large molecules. This data can be obtained by two different methods: dynamic light scattering and static light scattering.

This document presents repeatability and reproducibility results with the ViewSizer 3000. It also includes experimental details that should help the analyst achieve similar results.