$measuring hair width with laser diffraction$

$measuring hair width with laser diffraction$

#Measuring hair width with laser diffraction software#

Adding the Hydro Insight to your Mastersizer 3000, combines shape data with size data to enable the following benefits: #1 Gain a deeper understanding of why materials behave the way they do More than 30 size and shape metrics available such as circularity, ellipticity, opacity, mean diameter, and aspect ratio allows the user to understand how the combination of particle size and shape affects material behaviour. Individual particle images are viewed directly and captured as image files for post-run processing.

#Measuring hair width with laser diffraction software#

The camera takes images of the suspended particles in the analysis cell, converts them to a digital format, and sends the information to the software for final analysis in real-time. Particles dispersed by the Mastersizer 3000’s wet accessories flow through the Hydro Insight and are then photographed by a high-resolution digital camera at up to 127 frames per second. It provides real-time images of individual particles as well as quantitative data on particle shape at the same time as laser diffraction size measurements. The Hydro Insight is a dynamic imaging tool that sits alongside the Mastersizer 3000 particle size analyser. Imaging allows users to visually see the particles to determine particle size and shape and is complementary to laser diffraction particle sizing, allowing more data to be collected and measured. How can imaging help measure particle size more accurately? Laser diffraction using wet or dry dispersion methods overcomes these issues and enables faster, simpler analysis with better resolution and control of agglomerates. Wet sieving may help, but screen blocking is still common especially in smaller sizes. Excessive fines in this size range tend to cause attraction or bridging of particles and are often combined with humidity or sticking issues. However, in addition to being slow and manually intensive, sieving lacks sensitivity at the fine fraction of the distribution, particularly at < 38 µm which is known as the sub-sieve size region 4. The equivalent sphere concept works very well for regular-shaped particles, but for particles that are shaped like needles or plates, the size in at least one dimension can differ significantly from that of the other dimensions.įor this reason, many groups also employ low-cost sieve analysis to evaluate the large particle content.

$measuring hair width with laser diffraction$

Therefore, to simplify the measurement process particle size is defined using the concept of equivalent spheres. emulsions or bubbles), they cannot be fully described by a single dimension such as a radius or diameter 3. However, particles are 3-dimensional objects, and unless they are perfect spheres (e.g. The range of angles over which measurements are made directly relates to the particle size range which can be determined in a single measurement 2.

$measuring hair width with laser diffraction$

Laser diffraction analysers like the Mastersizer 3000 record the angular dependence of the intensity of light scattered by a sample, using an array of detectors. Large particles generate a high scattering intensity at relatively narrow angles to the incident beam, while smaller particles produce a lower intensity signal but at much wider angles. A sample, dispersed either in solution or fed dry which is passed through a collimated laser beam, scatters light over a range of angles. Laser diffraction is a non-destructive ensemble technique, meaning it calculates particle size distribution for the whole sample rather than building up a size distribution from measurements of individual particles. The speed and ease of use of this technology and the wide dynamic range (nm to mm) 1 give users access to quick, reliable particle size data with minimal effort. Laser diffraction technology for routine particle size analysis remains the method of choice across a diverse range of industrial sectors. Why measure particle size using laser diffraction? From dissolution rates of tablets, stability of paints, the texture of foods and coatings, to the flowability and packing density of powders, understanding particle size and shape can be critical when designing a product for a particular purpose or behaviour. The size and shape of a particle can influence a variety of material properties. In addition to particle size, the shape or morphological surface properties of the particles can be equally as important or even interrelated eg. The measurement of particle size distribution is routinely carried out across a wide range of industries for mainly two reasons to better understand how particle size will affect their product performance and to optimise and control the quality of products and processes during manufacturing. Particle size is by far one of the most important physical properties of particulate samples.

$measuring hair width with laser diffraction$