Industrial
Applications
Silver Paste

The Influence of Silver Powder Specific Surface Area on the Performance of Photovoltaic Silver Paste

Photovoltaic silver paste is an indispensable core component of solar cells, and its quality directly affects the solar cell performance. Silver paste is typically coated onto the front and back of the cell in a grid formation and adhered by rapid heating (sintering), and the silver grid serves as a highly conductive electron network. Usually, silver powder accounts for 70-90% of the paste by weight, therefore silver material properties will directly affect the overall performance of photovoltaic silver paste. Shape, particle size, dispersion, and specific surface area affect the properties of silver powder.

Industrial
Applications
Electronic Specialty Gases

Adsorption Applications of Electronic Specialty Gases

Electronic specialty gases are essential foundational materials in modern electronics manufacturing. These high-purity gases are critical to the production of semiconductors, display panels, LEDs, and photovoltaics. With the explosive growth of the clean energy sector, the market size for electronic specialty gases is expected to increase 140% by 2032.

The purity requirements for electronic specialty gases are stringent, typically at the 5N (99.999%) level, with some applications demanding 6N (99.9999%) or even higher. Gas purity and quality directly influence device yield and performance, with purification techniques spanning adsorption, distillation, absorption, and membrane separation.

Industrial
Applications
Silicone Nitride

Comparison of Static and Dynamic Flow Measurements for Specific Surface Area of Silicon Nitride Powder

With the advancement of science and technology, the demand for novel materials in various industries has increased significantly. Due to the inherent limitations of metallic materials, structural ceramics are gradually replacing them in certain fields. Silicon nitride (Si3N4) ceramics, known for their excellent mechanical properties (high hardness, strength, and toughness), self-lubrication, high-temperature resistance, chemical stability (resistance to acids, alkalis, and molten metals), as well as transparency and wave-transmitting capabilities, are widely used in mechanical, automotive, aerospace, biomedical, and electronic applications, such as cutting tools, ceramic bearings, turbine rotors, and heat-dissipating substrates. Learn how to analyse Silicone Nitride in the application note to the right – happy reading. 

Industrial
Applications
Nanoporous Materials

Comparing Gas Adsorbates for Pore-Structure Characterisation of Nanoporous Materials

Nanoporous materials such as zeolites, activated carbons, and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) feature abundant microporosity and play central roles in adsorption, catalysis, and separations.(1,2) Accurately resolving pore size distributions, micropore volumes, and accessible surface areas is therefore essential for materials design and process modeling. Gas physisorption remains the primary technique for this purpose because it probes adsorption–desorption behavior over a wide relative-pressure window spanning low pressures (below 0.1 Pa) through saturation near the adsorbate’s boiling point.(3) Reliable measurements in this regime require high vacuum instrumentation capable of evacuating the manifold and sample cell to very low absolute pressures with stable temperature control.

Industrial
Applications
Amorphous Silica

Influencing Factors in Nitrogen Physisorption for Measuring Specific Surface Area and Pore Volume of Amorphous Silica

Amorphous silica, commonly known as precipitated silica or white carbon black, features a highly interconnected three-dimensional network formed through tetrahedral coordination of silicon atoms. The aggregation of its primary particles into larger agglomerates produces complex capillary channels, which create a highly porous internal architecture with a notably large specific surface area. These characteristics contribute to its exceptional adsorption capacity, reinforcement behavior, thickening properties, and its high chemical and thermal stability. Because of these advantageous traits, amorphous silica is widely used in industries such as rubber manufacturing, plastics, coatings, pharmaceuticals, food processing, catalysis, and personal care formulations.(1-6)

Nitrogen physisorption remains one of the most important analytical methods for determining the specific surface area, pore size distribution, and pore volume of amorphous silica. Among existing analytical approaches, BET surface area and mesoporous/pore structural analyses are often the most sensitive to pretreatment method, degassing temperature, measurement window selection, and sample storage history. This application note discusses how these parameters affect measured results and provides guidance for optimising measurement quality when using the AMI Micro 300 Series physisorption analyser.

Industrial
Applications
Ionic Liquids

Overview of Supported Ionic Liquids: Effect of Specific Surface Area and Pore Structure

Ionic liquids (ILs) are room-temperature molten salts composed entirely of ions—typically an organic cation paired with an inorganic or organic anion. Compared with conventional organic solvents, ILs offer:

✓ Broad liquid-phase windows and thermal/physicochemical stability (often stable below ~300 °C),
✓ Negligible vapor pressure and nonflammability for cleaner operation, even under high vacuum,
✓ Wide solubility ranges that accommodate inorganic/organic compounds and polymers, sometimes with dual roles as medium and catalyst,
✓ Favourable electrochemical behaviour for electrolytes and reaction media, and;
✓ Molecular tunability by varying cation/anion structure.(1,2)

Supported ionic liquids (SILs) are functional ILs immobilized on porous carriers—by physical deposition or chemical anchoring—to form thin IL films within a solid matrix. Confining the IL converts a difficult-to-handle liquid into a solid-like composite that combines the chemical selectivity of the IL with the mass-transfer and mechanical advantages of a porous support. This approach mitigates the high viscosity and separation challenges of neat ILs and simplifies recovery and reuse, which is why SILs have become a focus across adsorption and catalysis. SILs show broad utility in gas and liquid adsorption/separation,(3) function as catalysts or catalyst supports,(4) and provide efficient aqueous-phase removal of heavy-metal ions.(5)

Industrial
Applications
Battery

The Impact of Specific Surface Area and Pore Structure on Potassium-Ion Batteries

Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) are considered an important complement to existing lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their environmental friendliness, abundant raw material resources, and low cost. PIB anode materials have become the focus of research, and carbon-based anodes have been studied for their high conductivity and chemical stability.

Graphite has been heavily studied for PIBs due to its theoretical storage capacity for K ions and therefore high energy density, shown schematically in Figure 1a. However, there are several limitations. The K+ ion has low mobility in graphite channels and pores due to its large ionic radius.(1) Many scholars have improved the performance of carbon materials in PIBs by surface modification, structural design, and functionalization.(1,2)

While graphite modification has been shown to improve K+ ion intercalation/deintercalation, attempts to increase the interlayer spacing often introduce defects into the material which reduce performance and stability. Alternatively, hard carbon is an amorphous material with randomly oriented sp2 planes. The disordered structure results in inherently larger spacing that facilitates faster intercalation and deintercalation of K+ ions. Because of this, hard carbon anodes have demonstrated excellent cycling stability when paired with an appropriate electrolyte.(3) The optimization of cathodic material properties plays an integral role in PIB chemistry, and therefore surface area and pore size have received attention from scholars.(4)

Industrial
Applications
Carbon Black

Study on the Effect of Selection Point Range on the Specific Surface Area and External Surface Area of Carbon Black Samples

Carbon black is produced through the incomplete combustion or thermal decomposition of hydrocarbon feedstocks and is widely used as a reinforcing agent in rubber. More than 90% of global carbon black output is consumed by the rubber industry. When incorporated into a rubber matrix, carbon black enhances key mechanical properties—including hardness, tensile strength, and abrasion resistance—while also improving compound processability and lowering overall formulation cost. Among commercial reinforcing fillers, carbon black remains the most important, and its specific surface area is a primary factor governing reinforcement performance.(1)
The specific surface area of carbon black is typically divided into internal and external components. The external specific surface area is especially relevant for evaluating reinforcement because effective reinforcement requires intimate contact between carbon black particles and rubber polymer chains. When the pores on the carbon black surface are too small for rubber molecules to enter, the internal surface associated with these ultrafine pores does not contribute to reinforcement and must be excluded. Therefore, the external specific surface area is defined as the portion of the total surface area remaining after subtracting the internal surface area of pores with diameters ≤ 2 nm that are inaccessible to rubber.(2,3)
This application note investigates how different selection-point ranges influence the measured total specific surface area and external specific surface area of carbon black samples.

Industrial
Applications
Activated Carbon

High-Resolution Micropore Characterisation of Activated Carbon Using Nitrogen Adsorption on the Matrix 1000

Activated carbon is widely used in adsorption, catalysis, and purification due to its extensive micropore structure (pores < 2 nm). Accurate characterisation of these pores is critical for optimizing material performance. The Matrix 1000 gas sorption analyser, developed by Advanced Measurement Instruments, enables high-resolution micropore analysis through nitrogen (N₂) adsorption at 77 K. This application note demonstrates the Matrix 1000’s ability to perform simultaneous, high-throughput micropore characterisation across four independent stations, delivering exceptional resolution and repeatability at low relative pressures (down to 10⁻⁸ P/P₀).

Learn more about Micropore Characterisation of Activated Carbon in this application note.

Industrial
Applications
Water Vapor

Water Vapor Adsorption on Al₂O₃ at 293 K Using Static Volumetric Method

This experiment demonstrates the water vapor adsorption performance of the Matrix 1000 system using γ-Al₂O₃ as a reference material under well-controlled conditions. The results illustrate the system’s strong equilibrium control, stable low-pressure dosing, and capability for full isotherm characterization.

Industrial
Applications
Isotherm

Redefining High-Throughput BET Testing: Reliable, Repeatable Analysis at Scale

Alumina (Al₂O₃) is a cornerstone material in numerous industrial applications, ranging from catalyst supports and adsorbents to ceramics and battery components. In each case, surface area and porosity play a critical role in determining performance and reactivity. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method remains the gold standard for evaluating specific surface area, yet traditional BET workflows often suffer from long cycle times, limited throughput, and heavy operator intervention—particularly when only one or two samples can be run at a time.

Learn about High-throughput BET testing in this application note.

Industrial
Applications
Ceramic

Testing Method for True Density of Ceramic Fracturing Proppants

Fracturing proppants, also known as ceramic particles or ceramic sand, are sintered from high-quality bauxite and other raw materials. These proppants are widely used in deep-well and high-pressure oil/gas reservoir fracturing operations. During deep oil and gas well extraction, hydraulic fracturing is applied to low-permeability reservoirs under high closure pressure. This process fractures the hydrocarbon-bearing rock layers, creating channels for oil and gas flow. Proppants are injected with high-pressure fluid into fractures to prevent closure under stress, maintaining high conductivity and enhancing production. Field data demonstrates that ceramic proppants can increase well productivity and extend operational lifespan.

Understand the true density of ceramic particles with this application note.

Industrial
Applications
Direct Air Capture

Study on the Adsorption Performance of a Direct Air Capture CO₂ Adsorbent

Rising atmospheric CO₂ concentrations have intensified interest in carbon-capture technologies capable of achieving negative emissions. Among these, DAC removes CO₂ directly from ambient air, where the partial pressure of CO₂ is approximately 40 Pa, far lower than flue gas concentrations (~12 kPa). This low driving force imposes stringent requirements on adsorbent materials and limits the applicability of membrane separation or cryogenic methods. Solid sorbents, in contrast to liquid amine solutions, avoid issues associated with solvent volatility, corrosion, and high regeneration energy, making them well-suited for DAC systems.

Industrial
Applications
Solid Adsorbents

The Effect of Water Vapor on the Adsorption Performance of Solid Adsorbents

In many industrial gas separation processes, the presence of water vapour presents a significant challenge to the performance and efficiency of solid adsorbents. Gas streams generated during processes such as exhaust gas treatment, natural gas processing and coalbed methane (CBM) recovery can contain substantial amounts of moisture, which may compete with target gas molecules for adsorption sites. Because water has a strong affinity for many porous adsorbent materials, its presence can alter adsorption behaviour, reduce available surface area and pore accessibility, and ultimately decrease the selectivity and capacity of the adsorbent. Understanding the interaction between moisture and the porous structure of an adsorbent is therefore essential when developing materials for real-world gas separation applications.

Coalbed methane recovery provides a particularly important example. During CBM extraction, methane can become mixed with significant quantities of air, producing dilute methane streams that are challenging to separate economically using conventional technologies. A considerable proportion of low-concentration methane is still released directly into the atmosphere, representing both a loss of a potentially valuable energy resource and a significant environmental concern. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, meaning that reducing methane emissions from mining and extraction operations can provide substantial environmental benefits.

Effective separation of methane from nitrogen and other components in these dilute gas streams could therefore offer both economic and environmental advantages. Selective adsorption using porous solid materials is a promising approach, with the performance of the separation strongly influenced by factors such as specific surface area, pore size distribution, pore volume, surface chemistry and adsorption affinity. In particular, the presence and accessibility of micropores can play an important role in determining the adsorption capacity and selectivity of materials used for methane/nitrogen separation.

Moisture control is consequently an important consideration when evaluating candidate adsorbents. Water molecules can occupy or block pores that would otherwise be available for methane adsorption and may also modify the surface chemistry of the material. As a result, adsorption measurements performed under dry laboratory conditions may not always fully represent the behaviour of an adsorbent when exposed to humid industrial gas streams.

Characterising the surface area and pore structure of these materials is therefore an important step in understanding and optimising their gas separation performance. Techniques such as nitrogen physisorption and BET surface area analysis can provide valuable information about the porous structure of an adsorbent, helping researchers assess how material properties may influence gas uptake, selectivity and performance under different operating conditions.

Industrial
Applications
CO2 Capture

Application of Breakthrough Curve Analysers in Liquid Absorbents for CO2 Capture

Reducing atmospheric CO2 concentrations remains one of the most pressing challenges in climate science and industrial decarbonization. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) has emerged as one of the most effective approaches for mitigating CO2 emissions, with several core technologies under active development: membrane separation, solid adsorption, and liquid absorption.

Liquid absorption is particularly useful due to its high efficiency and capacity for CO2 absorption.
While legacy chemical solvents offer high capacity and fast absorption rates, several (e.g., KOH and ammonia) face challenges related to equipment corrosion, volatility, and safety. Today, amine-based absorbents are the most widely used due to their favorable balance of reactivity, efficiency, and scalability in industrial CO2 capture..

Industrial
Applications
Small Molecule Hydrocarbon

Selective Adsorption of Small Hydrocarbons Using MOFs

This AMI Note presents a study on the selective adsorption behavior of small molecule hydrocarbons—acetylene (C2H2), ethylene (C2H4), propane (C3H8), and propylene (C3H6)—on various metal-organic framework (MOF) materials. Using AMI’s Micro 300 for high-precision static adsorption isotherms, this work highlights the potential of MOFs in non-cryogenic, energy-efficient separation of light hydrocarbons. Although dynamic breakthrough testing was not performed in this study, AMI’s BTsorb 100 system is noted as an ideal platform for future validation under flow conditions.

Industrial
Applications
Catalysts

Chemisorption and AMI

Chemisorption—the formation of chemical bonds between gas-phase molecules and surface atoms—is the foundational step in heterogeneous catalysis. On supported metal catalysts, this process occurs on small metal crystallites, nanoparticles, and single atoms anchored to high surface area oxide materials. These chemisorbed species react with adjacent adsorbed molecules or gas-phase reactants to generate catalytic products.

Industrial
Applications
Metal Catalysts

Pulse Chemisorption: Overview

Previous issues of AMI Notes have discussed different selective chemisorption techniques and how they may be used to determine the specific metal surface area of supported metal catalysts. One additional technique commonly used for the same purpose is pulse chemisorption. This method is one of the simplest, most straightforward ways to measure adsorbate uptake by a metal surface; however, as with most other measurements in catalysis, interpretation of the results can be problematic if the nature of the catalyst system and the experiment itself are not well-understood.

Pulse chemisorption is often used to calculate the particle dispersion and surface area of reduced metal catalysts supported on metal oxides. Both CO and H2 are commonly used adsorbates; CO equilibrates quickly and adsorbs more strongly to most metals, while H2 is effective and non-toxic.

A 2025 study by Kanuri et al. used an AMI 300 Chemisorption Analyzer with H2 adsorbate to calculate the dispersion and metallic surface area of Cu0 in CuO-ZnO-CeO2 catalysts.(1) Combined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), H2 pulse chemisorption was used to determine which synthesis method yielded the highest Cu dispersion. However, adsorbate gas is not limited to CO and H2. Warmuth et al. also used an AMI 300 with N2O gas to calculate the surface area of Cu0 catalyst supported on ZnO/ZrO2 and ZnO/ZrO2/SiO2.(2) They were able to quantify the decrease in Cu0 surface area as a function of reaction time on stream.

Industrial
Applications
Metal Catalyst

Supported Metal Catalyst Characterization with User-Friendly Chemisorption Techniques

Chemisorption, the formation of a chemical bond between gas-phase molecules and atoms on a solid surface, is a fundamental step in many catalytic reactions involving heterogeneous supported metal catalysts. Unlike physisorption, which is governed primarily by weak intermolecular forces, chemisorption involves stronger interactions that can significantly alter the electronic and chemical properties of both the adsorbate and the catalyst surface.

In supported metal catalysts, the active metal phase is commonly dispersed as small crystallites, nanoparticles or, in some advanced catalyst systems, isolated single atoms. These active species are typically anchored to a high-specific-surface-area support material, such as alumina, silica, carbon or a zeolite. The support provides a large surface area for dispersing the active metal and can also influence the electronic structure, stability and accessibility of the catalytic sites.

Once a gas molecule becomes chemisorbed onto the metal surface, it may undergo dissociation, activation or rearrangement before reacting with neighbouring adsorbed species or with molecules in the gas phase. These surface reactions ultimately lead to the formation of the desired products. The number, distribution and chemical nature of these active sites therefore have a direct influence on catalyst activity, selectivity and stability.

Chemisorption analysis provides an important means of characterising these active sites and understanding catalyst performance. Measurements can be used to determine properties such as the quantity of exposed metal, active metal dispersion, adsorption capacity and the strength or nature of the interaction between the adsorbate and catalyst surface. These parameters can provide valuable insight into how effectively the active metal has been dispersed across the support.

Understanding the chemisorption behaviour of a catalyst is particularly important when developing and optimising catalysts for applications including hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, ammonia synthesis, Fischer–Tropsch processes, emissions control and chemical production. By relating surface properties to catalytic performance, chemisorption measurements can help researchers identify the factors controlling reaction rates and product selectivity, supporting the design of more efficient, selective and durable heterogeneous catalysts.

Industrial
Applications
Coked Catalysts AMI 300

Advanced Temperature-Programmed Oxidation (TPO) of Coked Catalysts Using Integrated Methanation and FID Detection

Understanding Catalyst Coking

Heterogeneous catalysis plays a critical role across many industries, from energy production and chemical synthesis to petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and consumer products. Manufacturers rely on solid and powdered catalysts to accelerate reactions and convert feedstocks, including hydrocarbons, into valuable products.

However, catalysts can lose activity over time. One of the most common causes is coking – the formation and accumulation of elemental carbon on the catalyst surface. As carbon builds up, it can cover active catalytic sites, restrict access to the catalyst surface and block pores within the catalyst structure. These deposits can reduce reaction rates, alter product selectivity and eventually lead to catalyst deactivation.

Understanding how and why coke forms therefore plays an important role in improving catalyst performance and extending catalyst lifetime.

Characterising Carbon Deposits

Researchers use a range of analytical techniques to investigate carbon deposits on catalysts. These include transmission electron microscopy (TEM), laser Raman spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO).

Each technique provides different information about the structure and properties of deposited carbon. TPO has become particularly popular because it offers a relatively simple and effective way to measure and characterise carbon deposits directly on a catalyst.

How TPO Analyses Coked Catalysts

During temperature-programmed oxidation of coked catalysts, the instrument heats the catalyst through a controlled temperature programme while passing an oxidising gas over the sample. As the temperature increases, the deposited carbon reacts with the oxidising gas and produces carbon-containing oxidation products.

Different types of carbon deposits can oxidise at different temperatures. By monitoring these changes throughout the temperature programme, researchers can gain valuable information about the quantity, nature and relative stability of the coke present on the catalyst.

Methanation and FID Detection

Advanced TPO systems can combine methanation with flame ionisation detection (FID) to achieve highly sensitive carbon measurement. The system converts carbon-containing oxidation products into methane, which the FID can then detect and quantify with high sensitivity.

This approach allows researchers to measure very small quantities of carbon while also examining differences in the oxidation behaviour of deposits.

Improving Catalyst Performance

The information generated through TPO analysis can help researchers understand coke formation, catalyst deactivation and regeneration behaviour. This supports the development of catalysts that remain active for longer, resist carbon formation and can be regenerated more effectively.

By combining controlled temperature-programmed oxidation with sensitive methanation and FID detection, researchers can gain a clearer understanding of carbon deposition and use that information to optimise catalyst design and improve the efficiency and longevity of industrial catalytic processes.

Industrial Applications
Suspended Sediment Concentration

Suspended Sediment Concentration

Understanding Suspended Sediment Concentration

Sediment transport plays a central role in shaping river morphology, influencing reservoir siltation, and affecting aquatic ecosystems. As rivers move sediment through their channels, the concentration and characteristics of suspended particles can reveal important information about erosion, deposition, flow conditions, and environmental change.

Accurate suspended sediment concentration (SSC) measurements therefore support a wide range of applications, from flood forecasting and hydraulic engineering to reservoir management and environmental monitoring. However, obtaining reliable measurements across changing flow conditions remains a significant challenge.

Traditional SSC Measurement Methods

Traditionally, researchers measure SSC by collecting water samples from a river or waterway and transporting them to a laboratory. They then filter the samples, dry the retained sediment, and weigh the material to determine the concentration.

This gravimetric approach can deliver accurate and reliable results, but it requires considerable time and manual effort. More importantly, individual samples only represent conditions at a specific location and moment. During rapidly changing events such as storms and floods, this approach can therefore miss important fluctuations in sediment concentration.

The Move Towards Real-Time Monitoring

Modern monitoring technologies aim to overcome these limitations by providing faster and, in some cases, continuous measurements. Researchers and environmental agencies have explored photoelectric, ultrasonic, infrared, and isotope-based sensors for monitoring suspended sediment.

These technologies can provide valuable real-time information, but accuracy remains a challenge. Changes in particle size, shape, mineral composition, concentration, and water properties can all influence sensor response.

The Challenge of Calibration

Many modern sensors also require station-specific rating curves to convert instrument readings into reliable SSC values. Operators may need to collect and analyse large quantities of reference data before they can calibrate an instrument effectively. This additional work can make it difficult to deploy the same approach across multiple rivers or monitoring locations.

Towards More Reliable Sediment Monitoring

Advanced particle analysis techniques offer an opportunity to improve our understanding of suspended sediment. By measuring particle size and other characteristics alongside concentration, modern analytical approaches can provide a more complete picture of sediment behaviour.

Combining accurate particle characterisation with continuous monitoring could ultimately help researchers develop more reliable, efficient, and scalable approaches to sediment measurement, supporting better flood prediction, river management, and environmental protection.

Industrial
Applications
Extreme Hydrological Conditions

DeepSizer 300

Introduction

Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and particle size distribution (PSD) are vital indicators in hydrology, water resources, and ecological protection. During floods and typhoons, SSC can rise sharply, often exceeding 20 g/L. Such short-lived surges drive riverbed scour, reservoir siltation, and pollutant transport, posing risks to flood control, water supply, and ecosystem health. Capturing these events is therefore essential for flood forecasting and sustainable reservoir management.

However, traditional sampling methods are labor-intensive, unsafe during extreme weather, and too slow to capture short-term changes. Automated instruments such as turbidity sensors, acoustic devices, and conventional laser systems exist, but they often face challenges like limited measurement range or frequent maintenance.

In this application note, the DeepSizer 300 is presented as a tool for suspended sediment monitoring that provides accurate, real-time SSC and PSD data across wide ranges, including during flood and typhoon conditions.

Instrument

The DeepSizer 300 is equipped with a 635 nm, 10 mW polarized laser and 80 multi-angle detectors that capture both scattered and transmitted light signals. Its advanced software applies Differential Path Technology and Multiple Scattering Correction to ensure reliable results.

For practical applications, more advantages include:

• Wide measurement range: 0.001–100 g/L for SSC, 0.1–2000 µm for PSD.

• Adaptive path control: Automatically adapts to high, medium, or low sediment concentrations, ensuring accuracy under diverse conditions.

• Self-balancing hydraulic pressure: Automatically adjusts for external water pressure, ensuring stable optical path performance at depths up to 200 m.
• Automatic optical window cleaning: Maintains performance with minimal manual intervention.
• Flexible data transmission modes: Supports wired, wireless (4G), and offline modes, enabling adaptation to different monitoring environments.

Industrial
Applications
Pesticide Stability

Optimising Pesticide Suspension Grinding Process with BeScan Lab and Bettersizer 2600

Optimising pesticide suspension is important with the growing emphasis on environmental protection requirements, water-based, eco-friendly suspension concentrates (SC) have become increasingly popular in modern agriculture thanks to their environmental benefits, safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. However, ensuring the stability of these suspensions remains a significant challenge, due to issues such as stratification, sedimentation, and particle aggregation. Grinding time, a crucial process parameter, directly influences particle size distribution and stability—short grinding times result in larger particles that are prone to sedimentation, while excessive grinding results in overly fine particles that compromise stability. Traditional stability testing methods, such as static observation and centrifugation, are slow, subjective, and lack real-time monitoring capabilities. This study employs the BeScan Lab stability analyzer and the Bettersizer 2600 particle size analyzer to quickly and accurately assess suspension stability and particle size, facilitating efficient product development and process optimisation.

Industrial
Applications
Ibuprofen Stability

Investigating the Stability of Ibuprofen using BeScan Lab

Ibuprofen suspension is a widely recognized pain reliever whose active pharmaceutical ingredients are evenly dispersed in the system. Suspension is a thermodynamically unstable system because of its high surface energy, but also a kinetic stable system due to the optimization of the formulation. As time goes on, flocculation, sedimentation, or phase separation may occur in the suspension, which leads to drug deterioration. To ensure the homogenization of the active ingredients, it is recommended to shake the ibuprofen suspension before dosing. Good stability after redispersion is a key to the high effectiveness of ibuprofen, demonstrating even distribution of active ingredients with external force after long-term storage.

Industrial
Applications
Electrose Slurry Stability

Stability Analysis of Electrode Slurries based on Static Multiple Light Scattering

Supporting the Next Generation of Batteries

The rapid growth of the new energy industry continues to drive demand for high-performance, reliable battery technologies. Lithium-ion batteries, including lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and ternary lithium batteries, play a key role in this transition. Manufacturers produce these batteries using electrode slurries, which combine the positive or negative active material with binders, additives and solvents to create a uniform coating mixture.

Why Slurry Stability Matters

The stability of an electrode slurry directly influences the quality and consistency of the finished electrode. An unstable slurry can cause active material particles to flocculate, agglomerate or sediment during storage and processing. These changes can create inconsistencies during coating and calendering, making it more difficult to achieve a uniform electrode structure. Ultimately, poor slurry stability can affect battery performance, efficiency and long-term reliability.

Factors Affecting Electrode Slurry Stability

Several factors influence the stability and performance of an electrode slurry. These include the composition and concentration of each ingredient, the particle size and particle size distribution of the active material, the viscosity of the liquid medium and the mixing conditions used during preparation.

Particle size plays a particularly important role because it can influence dispersion, sedimentation behaviour, surface interactions and the overall rheology of the slurry. Manufacturers therefore need to understand how their formulation and processing conditions affect particle behaviour throughout the slurry’s lifetime.

Optimising Battery Electrode Formulations

Developing the optimum slurry formulation requires careful control and characterisation of these factors. A well-designed formulation can improve dispersion stability while supporting the mechanical strength, electrical conductivity and processing characteristics required for high-quality electrodes.

This application note explores the use of  BeScan Lab+ to evaluate electrode slurry stability, providing valuable insights into particle behaviour and helping manufacturers optimise formulations for more consistent and reliable battery production.

Industrial
Applications
Dispersing Agent – BeScan

Investigating the Effect of Dispersing Agent on the
Stability of Suspension Based on SMLS Technology

Suspension of titanium dioxide nanoparticles is widely used
in manufacturing ceramics, daily chemicals, pigments, and
optics. In most cases, nanoparticle suspensions are unstable
due to the high specific surface area and surface energy of
nanoparticles which leads to strong likelihood of particle
agglomeration and subsequent sedimentation. Dispersing
agents provide a viable solution to poor stability by adjusting
electrostatic potential or modifying steric hindrance.
Suspensions with high stability are beneficial to their final
performance because good dispersibility of nanoparticles
greatly improves effectiveness during application.

Industrial
Applications
Detergent BeScan Lab

Detergent – BeScan Lab

The Role of Surfactants in Cleaning and Emulsification

Surfactants play a fundamental role in cleaning products, detergents and emulsions. Their unique amphiphilic molecular structure contains both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, allowing them to interact with water, oils and other materials. This property enables surfactants to adsorb at interfaces and modify the behaviour of liquids and solid surfaces, making them essential for effective cleaning and formulation.

Improving Wetting and Dirt Removal

One of the key functions of a surfactant involves reducing the surface tension of water. This allows the cleaning solution to spread more easily across a surface and improves its ability to penetrate and wet contaminants. Surfactants can also alter the wetting behaviour of solid particles and other contaminants, helping the cleaning solution interact more effectively with dirt, grease and other unwanted materials.

Once the surfactant reaches the contaminant, its molecular structure helps loosen and disperse the material. Surfactants can surround hydrophobic particles and oils, helping to keep them suspended in the cleaning solution rather than allowing them to return to the surface. Electrostatic charge interactions can further support this process by creating repulsive forces between particles and the cleaned surface.

Why Stability Analysis Matters

The performance of a surfactant-based formulation depends not only on its cleaning efficiency but also on its physical stability. Changes in particle or droplet interactions can lead to aggregation, separation, sedimentation or other instability mechanisms that affect product quality and shelf life.

Stability analysis provides a valuable way to monitor these changes and understand how a formulation behaves over time. By assessing the stability of surfactant-containing systems under different conditions, manufacturers can identify formulation weaknesses and optimise the concentration and combination of ingredients.

Optimising Surfactant Formulations

A detailed understanding of interfacial behaviour and formulation stability can help manufacturers develop more effective and reliable cleaning products. Stability analysis can support formulation development by providing objective data on dispersion behaviour, helping to improve product consistency, performance and storage stability.

Industrial
Applications
Beer Foam – BeScan

Investigating Beer Foam using BeScan Lab

The Importance of Beer Foam

Beer foam represents an important part of the overall drinking experience and provides consumers with an immediate visual indication of beer quality and freshness. The foam forms through the interaction of malt proteins, yeast, hops and dissolved carbon dioxide during pouring. Beyond its attractive appearance, a well-formed head can help retain volatile compounds, supporting the release and perception of beer’s flavour and aroma.

What Determines Foam Quality?

Brewers assess foam quality using several characteristics, including whiteness, bubble size, foam height, retention time, strength and viscosity. These properties influence both the appearance and sensory experience of the finished beer.

Among these characteristics, foam stability remains one of the most important indicators. A stable foam head should retain its structure for an appropriate period after pouring without collapsing too quickly. Consistent foam behaviour can therefore provide valuable insight into the quality and composition of the beer.

Foam Analysis for Beer Quality

Foam analysis provides a quantitative way to evaluate the formation and stability of beer foam. By measuring changes in foam height and structure over time, brewers can compare different formulations, raw materials and processing conditions. This allows them to identify factors that influence foam performance and optimise their brewing processes.

Foam analysis can also help manufacturers investigate differences between beer styles, batches or packaging formats, providing objective data to support quality control and product development.

Factors Affecting Foam Stability

Differences in beer foam stability can result from several aspects of production. Alcohol content, wort concentration and composition, brewing conditions and packaging methods can all influence foam formation and retention. The interaction between proteins, hop compounds and other components also plays an important role.

Combining foam analysis with stability analysis gives brewers a more detailed understanding of beer foam behaviour. This approach can help optimise formulations and processes to produce a consistent, attractive and long-lasting foam head that enhances the consumer’s experience.

Industrial
Applications
3D Print Slurry

Using BeScan Lab for High-Efficiency Evaluation of Dispersant Effects on 3D Printing Slurry Stability

Zirconia (ZrO2) is vital in industries such as dentistry, medical implants, and electronics due to its excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. 3D printing has expanded zirconia’s applications, especially in precision ceramic components, making high stability essential for high-quality printing.

Industrial Applications
Cosmetics

Comparison of Commercial Cosmetic Products Using NMR Relaxation Measurements

Meritics can help you analyse cosmetics.

Formulators working in the cosmetics and personal care industries have numerous delivery vehicles from which to choose when formulating skin care products: emulsions, gels, sticks, mousses, aerosols, and ointments all have specific benefits. However, the emulsion is by far the most popular because it offers almost unlimited versatility in meeting the primary market objectives of efficacy, aesthetics, and cost parameters.

As we will explore in this Application Note, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation is a technique that is easy to employ, produces rapid results, and requires limited input data. Importantly, because it does not make any assumptions about the composition of the formulation and requires little, or no, sample preparation this makes it an ideal technique for measuring finished commercial products.

Industrial Applications
Pigment Dispersions

Using NMR Relaxation as an Aid in Understanding
Formulation of Pigment Dispersions

In general, the composition of commercial
pigment dispersions – to produce, for
example, paints and inks – is complex and
typically comprises a fluid, a dispersant, a
polymeric resin and the pigment material. In
the preparation of aqueous dispersions, a
wetting agent may additionally be needed if
the pigment materials are hydrophobic.

NMR spectroscopy is one of the most
powerful analytical tools used to probe
details of the structure and dynamics of
molecules. Traditional devices employing
NMR technology require very high magnetic
fields and, hence, very large magnets and
related instrumentation. However, the
advent of small powerful magnets has
allowed instruments – such as the Mageleka
MagnoMeter XRS™ – to be designed that
have small footprints and are suited to
normal, routine laboratory analysis.

Industrial Applications
API Solution

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients in AIDS Drugs: Using NMR
Relaxation to Determine the Wetted Surface Area of Suspensions

Reducing the particle size of materials
possessing poor solubility characteristics
can be an avenue to substantially
increasing the total surface area of the
material. This concept can be illustrated
when formulating drug products that contain
active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
A larger surface area allows for much
faster dissolution of APIs and, thereby, an
increase in bioavailability, regardless of the
route of administration. This is of obvious
importance in manufacturing because low
active bioavailability of drugs can lead to
inefficient treatment and risk of toxic side
effects. Any increase in efficacy can reduce
the potential toxicity because less drug
substance is needed, which also serves
to reduce costs. There is also a growing
body of evidence that, specifically with
nanoparticulate API materials, it is the
particle surface area and not particle size
that is the defining metric that controls
toxicological interaction. This explains
the recent drive to develop reformulations
based on nanotechnology.

So, what technique can make fast, reliable,
direct measurements of wetted surface
area in any suspension and, particularly,
nanosize API dispersions? Nuclear magnetic
resonance (NMR) relaxation, which is the
basis for Mageleka’s MagnoMeter XRS™,
can directly measure the wetted surface
area of any particulate suspension.

Industrial Applications
Ink-jet pigment

Dispersions of Ink-Jet Pigments: Using NMR Relaxation Measurements
as a Quality Control Too

The application performance of any pigment
is determined by its nature, including how it
was manufactured, and the level of dispersion
achieved in formulation. The most important
physical properties include particle size and
wetted surface area. The finer the particle size,
the more intense will be the color; the greater
the surface area, the greater will be the extent
and uniformity of surface coating. For industries
that must produce products with reliably
consistent colors, measuring particle size and
wetted surface area quickly and easily will aid
in more efficient formulation and help to reduce
production costs.

So, what technique can make fast, reliable,
direct measurements of wetted surface area
in any suspension and, particularly, nanosize
pigment dispersions? Nuclear magnetic
resonance (NMR) relaxation, which is the
basis for Mageleka’s MagnoMeter XRS™, can
directly measure the wetted surface area of any
particulate suspension.

Industrial Applications
Raw Materials

Using NMR Relaxation Measurements for Quality Control
of Incoming Materials used in Formulation of Products

The preparation of any suspension or slurry
comprising a powder material in a liquid, be it
for “blue sky” experimental R&D purposes or
in the pre-formulation of a commercial product,
will always start with a solid and a liquid.
Unfortunately raw materials are never 100%
pure, and this is true even for National Formulary
(pharmaceutical)
grade
material. Indeed,
industrial material can contain as little as 80%
of the active component, as a cursory glance at
the typical Material Safety Data Sheet and the
Technical Data Sheet, always supplied with the
material, will attest to! In all cases, the type and
level of impurities depends on the source of the
material and any subsequent processing.

NMR spectroscopy is one of the most powerful
analytical tools used to probe details of molecular
structure and dynamics. Devices employing NMR
technology require very high magnetic fields and,
hence, very large magnets. However, the advent
of small powerful magnets has allowed low-field
instruments, such as the Mageleka MagnoMeter
XRS™ Relaxometer, to be designed that have
small footprints and so are suited to normal,
routine laboratory analysis.

Industrial Applications
Yeast Monitoring

Monitoring Yeast During the Beer Brewing Process

Yeast levels in pitch tanks for craft beers are typically in the 1B/ml plus range. Therefore a protocol that minimizes steps, errors introduced during pipette steps and minimizes cost to craft breweries is detailed in this SOP.

Industrial Applications
Yeast Monitoring

Monitoring yeast counts, visability and metabolic activity in brewing with Orflo’s Moxi GO II

At the core of the brewing process is the conversion of sugar into alcohol by yeast. Beyond the initial selection of the yeast strain, the understanding of the shifting characteristics of the yeast in the wort, relative to the constant-changing environmental conditions, is critical. At a bare minimum brewqers need to maintain proper concentrations of yeast throughout the process by adding or “pitching”, yeast at various timepoints. The Moxi GO II is ideally and uniquely suited to enabling yeast monitoring in brewing.

Industrial Applications
Cohesive Powders

The effects of caking on the dynamic flow of cohesive powders

Caking or the bonding of particles due to inter-particle cohesion has a huge effect on the behavior of
powders. Strong bonds between particles can prevent materials from exiting silos and storage
containers. However, under dynamic conditions, caking can actually improve the flow properties of the
material. Caking in powders occurs in two ways. Under static conditions as in storage containers and
silos, caking occurs due to particles being pressed together by the force of gravity acting on a column
of material or by external forces. Generally the stronger the forces acting on the material the stronger
the bonds between cohesive particles. Under dynamic conditions, caking occurs due to particles
smashing together as they flow. This type of caking is also referred to as agglomeration, clumping or
granulation. Dynamic conditions are defined as situations where a powder is moving under the
influence of gravity or by mechanical convection. In industry, powders are typically stored under static
conditions but are used under dynamic conditions. Therefore, the characteristics of the material after
storage under static conditions as well as the stability of the material under dynamic conditions are
critical to the successful use of the material. In this study, the effects of caking under static and
dynamic conditions on the dynamic flow characteristics of powders are analyzed. Powders with
different degrees of inter-particle cohesion are studied using uni-axial compression to simulate static
conditions and a rotating drum to simulate dynamic conditions. The assessment of the inter-particle
cohesion of the material is achieved by measuring the unconfined yield strength of the material after a
consolidating stress has been applied. It is found that caking due to inter-particle cohesion under both
static and dynamic conditions directly affects the dynamic flow characteristics of powders and also can
create instabilities in these characteristics as the materials are subjected to dynamic forces. The
dynamic flow characteristics measured include avalanche energy and dynamic density. It is also found
that the level of caking in a powder can be assessed by measuring the changes in its dynamic flow
characteristics before and after exposure to static and dynamic conditions.

Industrial Applications
Static Charge

Testing Powders for Additive Manufacturing Applications

Analysing Static Charge has never been easier. The Revolution Powder Analyser has been used extensively to test the flow properties of metal and polymer powders used for additive manufacturing applications. The tests that have been proven to be suited to additive manufacturing applications include the flowability test, the packing test, the multi flow test, caking test,and the electrical charge analysis.

Industrial Applications
Additive Manufacturing

Testing Powders for Additive Manufacturing Applications

Understanding Powder Behaviour in Additive Manufacturing

Powder properties play a critical role in the performance and reliability of additive manufacturing processes. Metal and polymer powders must flow consistently, pack effectively and behave predictably throughout the manufacturing process to achieve repeatable results.

Variations in powder flow behaviour can affect powder spreading, layer formation, packing density and ultimately the quality of the finished component. Understanding how a powder behaves before and during processing therefore helps manufacturers optimise their materials and improve process consistency.

The Revolution Powder Analyser has been used extensively to characterise the flow properties of metal and polymer powders used in additive manufacturing applications. Its range of powder testing capabilities provides valuable information about how materials behave under different conditions.

Measuring Powder Flowability

The flowability test provides an indication of how readily a powder moves under controlled conditions. This is particularly important for additive manufacturing, where consistent powder delivery and spreading are essential for producing uniform layers.

Differences in flow behaviour between powder batches can indicate changes in particle characteristics, moisture content, surface properties or other material parameters.

Assessing Powder Packing

The packing test evaluates how effectively powder particles pack together. Packing behaviour can influence powder bed density and the way particles interact during processing.

Understanding packing characteristics can help manufacturers assess different powder formulations and identify materials that provide the consistency required for a particular additive manufacturing process.

Multi Flow and Caking Tests

The Multi Flow test provides additional information about powder behaviour under different flow conditions, helping users understand how materials respond as testing conditions change.

The caking test assesses a powder’s tendency to form agglomerates or cake during storage or handling. This can be particularly important for powders that need to maintain consistent flow properties between production, storage and use.

Electrical Charge Analysis

Electrical charge analysis provides further insight into powder behaviour. Electrostatic charging can influence how particles interact with equipment and with one another, potentially affecting powder handling, spreading and deposition.

Comprehensive Powder Characterisation

By combining flowability, packing, Multi Flow, caking and electrical charge analysis, the Revolution Powder Analyser provides a comprehensive approach to understanding metal and polymer powders for additive manufacturing. These measurements can support material development, quality control, batch comparison and process optimisation, helping manufacturers achieve more predictable powder performance and consistent additive manufacturing results.

Industrial Applications
Evolution v’s Yield Strength Tests

The Evolution Powder Tester versus traditional yield strength tests

The Evolution Powder Tester is designed to measure the unconfined yield strength of powders and
granular materials quickly, accurately, and repeatably. The heart of the design is the analysis cell

Industrial Applications
Evolution v’s Shear Testers

The Evolution Powder Tester compared to Shear Testers

The Evolution Powder Tester is used to compare the behaviour of materials under consolidated load. The
only other instruments available for this type of test are powder shear testers. The Evolution was
designed specifically as an alternative to shear testers for many reasons, download the full paper to the right:

Industrial Applications
ASTM Committee B09 Workshop

ASTM COMMITTEE
B09 WORKSHOP
ON POWDER
CHARACTERIZATION

New powder characterisation tests such as the rotating drum and the
Freeman FT4 rheometer have been introduced in recent years. These instruments have yet to be standardized for use with metal powders. Greg Martiska,
Mercury Scientific Inc., presented the results of testing with the Revolution
Powder Analyser and Joe Tauber, Kennametal Inc., presented data from testing with a Granudrum. The third workshop participant was Tim Freeman,
Freeman Technology, a Micromeritics company. He presented the test results
obtained using the FT4 rheometer.

Industrial Applications
Granular Material

Testing Powder and Granular Material Behavior

Mercury Scientific has developed testing proceedures to study the flow properties of powders and
granular materials. These proceedures allow users of Mercury Scientific instruments to measure all
aspects of the flow behavior of their materials. The data produced by these tests is useful for
formulating powders, predicting powder behavior and quantifying powder quality.

Industrial Applications
Unconfined Yield Strength

Unconfined Yield Strength and the Flow of Powders and Granular Material

Powders and granular materials are made up of freely moving particles and air. For powders, the
particles are small, ranging in size from nanometers to microns. For granular materials, the particles are
typically in the millimeter size range. Because they are made up of freely moving particles and air,
powders and granular materials exhibit properties of both solids and liquids. Under certain conditions,
they may behave more like liquids and flow easily. Under other conditions, they may behave more like
solids and not flow at all or even become solid. In order to understand their behaviour, it is necessary to
measure how powders and granular materials behave under different conditions.

Industrial Applications
Spreadability of AM Powders

Identifying, quantifying, and determining the root causes of specific spreadability issues with AM
powders

Powders used in the AM industry either they spread well or they do not. Poor powder spreading is due to
specific issues with the powder or printer parameters. Therefore, the specific spreadability issues must be
identified and quantified so that the root cause of the issue can be determined and corrected. Data is
presented in identifying and quantifying various spreadability issues including low layer density, low
layer thickness, non-uniform layer coverage, channeling, and layer waviness. The root causes of these
issues are determined, and corrective actions are presented.

Industrial Applications
Caking and Agglomeration Testing

Pressure-Temperature-Humidity-Time

Powders and granular materials are unique in terms of
industrial materials in that they can remember their stress
and environmental history. In other words, a powder can
change depending on how it is handled and stored. For
example, if a powder is stored in an industrial tote
containing a 1 ton mass, the gas in the powder will be
removed (compressibility) and the powder particles may
form large particles (agglomerates) due to the pressure
acting on the particles. If stored long enough in this way,
the powder may actually become a solid (caking). When the
pressure is removed, the powder may or may not go back to
its original condition before storage.

Industrial
Applications
Soils LS 13 320 XR

A comparison of the spreadability and flowability of metal powders for AM applications

The ability of a powder to form a consistent layer in an additive manufacturing (AM) machine is critical to producing high quality parts. This ability is referred to as powder spreadability. There are many official and unofficial definitions of powder spreadability but there is no consensus on how to test it. Many machines have various in situ techniques for analyzing powder layer formation, but these techniques are more for process monitoring than predictive testing. Several tests and test devices have been proposed.1-4 These include test beds that automatically spread a test powder, and manual spreading devices. Typically the measurement performed is an optical analysis of the top surface of the powder layer. In some cases, the density of the layer is measured by weighing the powder and calculating the spread layer volume.

Industrial Applications
Metal Powders

Evaluating the spreadability of metal powders for additive manufacturing applications using a
SpreadStation Powder Analyser

The spreadability of several metal powders manufactured for additive manufacturing applications is
measured for a range of layer thicknesses under different application conditions including a range of
spreading speeds, different spreader geometries, a range of powder feeding geometries and spreader
application pressures and different environmental conditions. The powder spreadability analyzer used for
the measurements is a new instrument commercially produced by Mercury Scientific Inc. Data presented
include spreading efficiency, mass per spreader travel and spreading uniformity per spreader travel.

Industrial Applications
Segregation and Humidity

Evaluating the sensitivity of virgin and recycled Additive Manufacturing powders to segregation and humidity

Powders can change their flow properties as they are handled and used. They also can become more
sensitive to segregation on handling and environmental conditions. This means that a powder that has
been used or recycled may change its behaviour due to handling and environmental exposure more than
virgin material. This behaviour is evaluated by testing the flow properties of virgin and used Additive Manufacturing powders
with the Revolution Powder Analyser before and after exposure to segregation pressure and different
environmental conditions.

Industrial Applications
Additive Manufacturing

Revolution measurements for Additive Manufacturing

Rotating drum rheometers have been widely used to study powders for Additive Manufacturing applications for over 15 years and powders in general for roughly 40 years. The concept of studying powder flow behaviour in a
rotating cylinder or “drum” was presented in Kaye et al in 1995. Powder was placed in a clear
cylinder with a light source in front of it. An array of photocells was places behind the cylinder. The
cylinder or drum was rotated, and the sample powder would prevent or allow light from light source to
reach the photocells. In this way, the avalanching behaviour of the powder could be studied. This concept
was commercialised under the name Aero-Flow in 1996 by Amherst Process Instruments. As a result of
this detection method, the Aero-Flow could only measure the time between avalanches.

The best detection method to study powder in a rotating drum is naturally a digital imaging device.
However, in the 1990’s digital imaging devices and processing systems were expensive, and the time
required to analyse a single image was roughly 20 to 30 seconds. This situation changed rapidly at the
end of the 1990’s with increases in computer processing speed and development of inexpensive digital
imaging devices. A commercial instrument using a digital camera to image the powder in the drum was
developed by Mercury Scientific Inc. in 2002 and was commercialised under the name Revolution
Powder Analyser.

Industrial Application
Coffee Creamer Powder

Zeta Potential Measurement of Powdered Coffee Creamer Using the BeNano 90 Zeta

Zeta potential is a scientific term for electrokinetic potential in colloidal dispersions. One of the factors to affect the zeta potential values is the chemical composition at the particle surface, and the solution environment in which the particles are dispersed. In this application note, the relation between the zeta potential and pH is investigated by measuring the zeta potentials of a commercially available powdered coffee creamer in different pH environments.

Industrial Application
Pigment

Particle Size measurement of High-concentration Pigment Samples with DLS Technology

The particle sizes of high concentration pigments (red and yellow samples) had been characterized successfully by the DLS technology of the BeNano 90 Zeta. Using the capillary sizing cell compatible with the BeNano 90 Zeta, even samples with high concentrations and low transmittance can be analyzed to yield reliable and accurate results.

Industrial Application
Iron Dextran

Characterising Iron Dextran Preparation with the BeNano 90

In this application note, the BeNano 90 was used to characterize two iron dextran injections, a commercially available one and a R&D stage one. Size differences were successfully distinguished, and the presence of aggregates in the R&D sample was ascertained. With regards to the injection preparations, particular attention needs to be paid to the formation of aggregates, due to their significant effect on the drug stability, efficacy, and immune response. Hence, the BeNano 90 with its excellent sensitivity for aggregates or large particles will be extremely useful and convenient as a research tool for injection preparation.

Industrial Application
Alumina Abrasive

Determining the Size and Zeta Potential of Alumina Abrasive

The BeNano 90 Zeta was employed successfully to determine the size and zeta potential of nano alumina dispersed in the aqueous environment. The measurement results suggest that the nano alumina is close to monodisperse in size and possesses high stability with the zeta potential amplitude over 30 mV.

Industrial Applications
Thermal Sensitive Hydrogel

Characterising PNIPAm Thermal Sensitive Hydrogel

In this application note, a thermosensitive PNIPAm sample is characterised by automatic measurements of the particle sizes and zeta potentials under the programmed temperature change process of the BeNano. The PNIPAm measured exhibits similar behaviour with the reported results from most literature. The temperature trend measurement of the BeNano can significantly improve the measurement efficiency and provide a robust and powerful testing tool for such applications.

Industrial Application
Titanium Oxide

Using the BAT-1 autotitrator to measure the zeta potentials of TiO2 at different pH

This study shows the measurement of zeta potentials of titanium dioxide (TiO2) at different pH levels using the BAT-1 autotitrator. Zeta potential, which depends on the chemical composition and environment, can vary with pH. The TiO2 powder was dispersed in water and subjected to automatic titration with HCl from pH 5.4 to 2 using the BAT-1 autotitrator. Results showed that the zeta potential of TiO2 was positive at low pH, approached zero at pH 3.5 (isoelectric point), and gradually became negative with increasing pH. The BeNano with PALS technique provided accurate and repeatable zeta potential measurements, simplifying the process and improving efficiency.

Industrial Applications
Aluminium Oxide

Using the BAT-1 autotitrator to measure the zeta potentials of Al2O3 at different pH

The use of alumina (Al2O3) as a versatile material has prompted research on its stability under different surface modifications. Zeta potential, which depends on the chemical composition and pH of the medium, is an important parameter to assess stability. The BAT-1 autotitrator and BeNano analyzer were employed to measure the zeta potential of Al2O3 particles at different pH levels. The results indicated that the isoelectric point of the Al2O3 system was at pH 6.8, with lower zeta potential magnitudes suggesting instability near this point. Higher pH levels (10-12) exhibited higher zeta potential magnitudes and greater system stability due to stronger electrostatic forces.

Industrial Applications
Battery Electrode Slurry

Determining the Average Zeta Potential and Distribution of Battery Electrode Slurry

This application note presents a study on determining the zeta potential of battery electrode slurry dispersed in NMP solvent. The experiment utilized the BeNano to measure the zeta potential of four different samples. The results showed that all samples had negative zeta potentials, indicating the presence of negative charges in the electrode materials. The zeta potential amplitudes were around 50 mV, indicating high stability. The study highlights the importance of understanding zeta potential for optimizing battery electrode production and emphasizes the reliability of the measurements.

Industrial
Applications
Paint

Acrylic and Oil-Based Paint Rheology

Paint rheology plays an important role in the formulation, manufacture and application of acrylic and oil-based paints. Understanding how paint flows under different shear conditions helps manufacturers optimise formulations, improve application performance and achieve consistent results. Rheological analysis can also help control properties such as viscosity, flow, levelling and resistance to sagging.

Paint Rheology for Water-Based and Solvent-Based Coatings

Water-based and solvent-based coatings can exhibit significantly different rheological behaviours. Measuring their flow curves as a function of shear rate allows manufacturers to understand how a coating behaves during mixing, pumping, application and drying.

By analysing these characteristics, formulators can adjust the composition of a paint or coating to achieve the desired application properties. This can help ensure that the finished product provides a consistent and user-friendly experience while also limiting unwanted flow or sagging after application.

Measuring Paint Flow and Viscosity

Rheological testing provides valuable information about how a paint responds to different levels of shear. During manufacture, paints may experience high shear rates during mixing and dispersion, while application methods such as brushing, rolling or spraying create different shear conditions.

A well-characterised formulation should therefore perform consistently across these different stages. Paint rheology testing can help identify whether a formulation has the appropriate viscosity and flow behaviour for its intended application.

Optimising Acrylic and Oil-Based Paint Formulations

Acrylic and oil-based paints require carefully controlled rheological properties to achieve the desired balance between ease of application and resistance to unwanted movement. If a coating flows too easily, it may run or sag on vertical surfaces. If its viscosity is too high, it may be difficult to spread or apply evenly.

Rheological analysis allows manufacturers to investigate these behaviours and optimise formulations accordingly. This can support product development, quality control and batch-to-batch consistency.

Improving Coating Performance with Rheological Analysis

By combining paint rheology measurements with formulation knowledge, manufacturers can develop coatings that offer predictable flow and application characteristics. Rheology testing is therefore a valuable tool for understanding acrylic, oil-based, water-based and solvent-based paints and coatings.

For more information on rheological testing and instrumentation, visit the Meritics rheology analysis services.

Industrial
Applications
Gel Bloom Test

Bloom test or determination of gel force

Gel power measurement by compression test or Bloom
value enables to quantify strength of gels, simply with a
perfectly defined method, according European
pharmacopeia.

Industrial
Applications
Toothpaste

Determination of dentifrice extruding force

Determination of the actuation force is needed to ensure
the correct properties of the tube and a correct
formulation for the toothpaste.

Industrial
Applications
Body Cream

Elasticity, consistency and adhesion of different body cream

The determination of elasticity, consistency and
adhesion for a cream is primordial in order to obtain the
optimum texture for the targeted body area.

Industrial
Applications
Deodorant

Firmness determination of two different deodorants (24h/72h)

Cylindrical probes are used to make penetration test on
hard samples such as deodorant sticks. Doing this, we
can determine the firmness of the stick.

Industrial
Applications
Shampoo Consistency

Back extrusion for shampoo characterisation

The disc plunger performs a compression test which
extrudes the product up and around the edge of the disc.
This test measures the consistency of viscous products,
like shampoo.

Industrial
Applications
Hair Gel

Elasticity, consistency and stickiness of different hair
styling gel from the same manufacturer.

Compression-relaxation-traction test also known as
CRT test is used to determine the elasticity, the
consistency and the stickiness of soft sample.
Knowing theses parameters, it becomes possible to
determine the firmness, the cohesion and the
threading nature of the products.

Industrial
Applications
Syringes

Actuation force determination for different medical syringes

The compression test used allows us to assess the
actuation force needed to push liquid outside the
syringe. Thanks to the adjustable workbench, it can
be used for syringes with a diameter between
0.9cm and 2.9cm in diameter.

Industrial
Applications
Shampoo

Rheology of “Baby”
and “Adult” Shampoo

Cosmetic products have different rheological behaviours
depending on how they were formulated and on their use.
A comparison of two different shampoos, i.e. Baby and Adult as
in this example, is characteristic of this

Industrial
Applications
Pharmaceutical Gels

Bloom test or determination of gel force

Gel power measurement by compression test or Bloom
value enables to quantify strength of gels, simply with a
perfectly defined method, according European
pharmacopeia.

Industrial
Applications
Resins

Kinetics viscosity /
Temperature on resins

Measuring the changes in resins’ dynamic viscosity over a range
of temperatures from 70 to 105°C and comparing them.

Industrial Applications
Wall Coating

Viscosity measure
of wall filler

Measuring the viscosity of wall filler is often difficult: either
the filler is too viscous for the instrument being used, or the
geometry compounds the product during measurement. We
have introduced a simple and effective technical solution for this
application

Industrial
Applications
Chocolate

Chocolate bar bending resistance

The 3 points bending fixture is used to determine the
rigidity properties of hard products such as chocolate
bar.

Industrial
Applications
Melted Chocolate

Chocolate rheology according
to the IOCC standard

This measuring Method enables to find Plastic Viscosity and Yield
Value on chocolate samples at 40°C, according OICC
standard.

Industrial
Applications
Soft Bread

Softness measurement in different types of bread

A compression-relaxation test is used to determine the
softness in different types of bread. It also can measure
elasticity of bread.

Industrial
Applications
Mayonnaise

Elasticity, consistency and adhesion of mayonnaise (low-fat vs full-fat)

Two similar products such as low-fat and full-fat
mayonnaise should have similar texture. That’s why the
determination of elasticity, consistency and adhesion is
primordial.

Industrial
Applications
Gummybear

Softness and elasticity measurement in soft candy

A compression-relaxation test is used to determine the
softness and elasticity in different soft candy.

Industrial
Applications
Marshmallow

Softness and elasticity measurement of marshmallow

The Ottawa piston can be used to perform compression
(or compression-relaxation) on large sample. A
compression-relaxation test is used to determine the
softness and elasticity in different soft candy.

Industrial
Applications
Sweetcorn

Bulk firmness of different corn brands

Kramer cell is used for the analysis of multi-particle
products such as corn, olives or peas. During the test,
thanks to the design of the cell, there is a combination of
compression, shearing and extrusion.

Industrial
Applications
Apples

Freshness of different fresh products such as apples

Cylindrical probes are used to make penetration test.
Those tests allow us to determine the freshness of the
products by linking firmness to freshness.

Industrial
Applications
Raspberries

Texture analysis of two types of raspberry (thawed vs fresh)

Kramer cell is used for the analysis of multi-particle
products such as raspberry, corn, olives or peas. During
the test, thanks to the design of the cell, there is a
combination of compression, shearing and extrusion.

Industrial
Applications
Crisps

Resistance test of two different potato crisps brand

The T probe is used to determine the rigidity properties
of solid brittle products such as chips (premium vs low
cost).

Industrial
Applications
Yoghurt Consistency

Consistency of two types of yogurts (0% vs normal)

Mesh probe is used here to measure the consistency of
2 different kinds of fruits yogurts. Using a compression
test, it can quantify the consistency of products but also
the presence of fruits inside.

Industrial
Applications
Jelly

Determination of gel force

Gel power measurement by compression test or Bloom
value enables to quantify strength of gels, simply with a
perfectly defined method, according European
pharmacopeia.

Industrial
Applications
Filled Biscuits

Texture analysis of chocolate filled biscuit

The 3 points bending fixture is used to determine the
rigidity properties of hard products such as chocolate
filled biscuit.