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PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION MEASUREMENT METHODS
Different methods adapted for particle size analysis:
Particle-Size
Measurement
Techniques
Electrozone Laser
Sieving Microscopy Sedimentation Permeametry
Sensing Diffraction
COMPARISON OF VARIOUS SIZING METHODS
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Permeability size technique
The finer the particles are ground the more
impermeable they become and an instrument
as the one illustrated below can be used to
determine the average particle size of the
powder.
Electric Sensing Zone or Coulter Counter
The instrument is a true high resolution, high speed
particle counter and particle size distribution
analyzer that covers a nominal span of about 1.0 µm
to 260 µm. Under special circumstances, the lower
detection level can be reduced to about 0.4 µm.
Note the presence of particle attenuates the
detected signal and the attenuation will be a function
of particle size.
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Sedimentation methods
Microscopy
This involves viewing particles under a
microscope and with the help of
graticules, sizes of individual particles can
be determined. When done manually this
is laborious and also the 2D projection of
the particle have to be interpreted into
3D
The availability of the electron
microscope has now made it possible to
measure particles as small as 1
nanometer. This is also helped by the
availability of software that can
automatically identify and quantify
particles of different phases.
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PARTICLE SIZING METHODS – LASER SCATTERING
Fraunhofer Scattering:
• This method is based on diffraction
scattering only, and it won’t take
into the consideration of others like
absorption, refraction and
reflection, where as Mie scattering
will.
• The scattering pattern produced by
a single spherical particle consists
of a series of light and dark
concentric bands that decrease in
intensity with increasing radial
position.
. It works on the principle that when a beam of light (a
laser) is scattered by a group of particles, the angle of
light scattering is inversely proportional to particle size (ie.
the smaller the particle size, the larger the angle of light
scattering).
PARTICLE SIZING METHODS
Laser diffraction gives the following advantages:
• Flexibility.
• This method is rapid producing an answer in less
than one minute, unlike other techniques.
• A wide dynamic range(0.1- 2000 microns)
• The method is non-destructive and non-intrusive.
Hence samples can be recovered if they are
valuable.
• Dry powders can be measured directly, although this
may result in poorer dispersion than using a liquid
dispersing medium.
• This method gives more detailed particle size
distributions than the other techniques stated.
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PARTICLE SIZING METHODS – TEST SIEVING
Sieving may be performed wet or dry; by machine
or by hand, for a fixed time or until powder passes
through the sieve at a constant low rate
Wet sieving
Air-jet sieving
Weight distribution
TEST SIEVING ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Advantages
Easy to perform
Wide size range
Inexpensive
Disadvantages
Known problems of reproducibility
Wear/damage in use or cleaning
Irregular/agglomerated particles
Rod-like particles : overestimate of under-size
Labour intensive
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EFFECT OF MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE ON SIZE DISTRIBUTION
SIZED MATERIAL FROM THE HEAP
Discuss why almost each of the above
techniques would measure different particle
sizes
