Particle Analysis of Dispersed Carbon Nanotubes
Chemical vapor growth of cylindrical structures comprising monomolecular graphitic sheets was first observed decades ago, but the fabrication of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) remains a relatively emergent technology. These quasi-one-dimensional structures are increasingly used as a material reinforcement, with great potential for use in nanotechnology engineering, electronics, and pharmaceuticals. Particle […]
Outlining the Importance of Surface Area Analysis
Surface area analysis refers to the measurement of a particle’s available surface. It is important because it is the means by which a solid interacts with its surroundings, whether they are gases, liquid, or other solids. Generally as particle size decreases, surface area increases, however if porosity is generated the increase in surface area can […]
Particle Size Analysis in the Pharmaceutical Sector
Pharmaceutical products are comprised of tightly-controlled ratios of biologically active ingredients and excipient materials, the latter of which are designed to act as a drug carrying vehicle. The relationship between these compounded chemicals is critical in understanding drug dosage and efficacy, with multiple parameters affecting the ideal composition values of bulk medicinal products. Particle size, […]
Outlining Powder Flow Analysis
Powder flow analysis is a method for determining the material properties and characteristics of powdered solids in bulk. Bulk powders exhibit vastly different mechanical attributes in dynamic or static states, behaving with mutable characteristics under varying conditions. Compressed, static powders often display similar properties to consolidated materials – yet when that same substance is subject […]
The Applications of Dynamic Light Scattering
Light can typically travel uninterrupted through a homogenous liquid sample, even if it is refracted or if the color of the liquid absorbs some of its wavelengths. This is because transparent liquid particles will transmit light rather than reflecting it. If a liquid sample contains nanoparticles or particulates however, these microscopic solids will block and […]
Particle Concentration Analysis of Microplastics
The concentration of non-degradable plastic products in the world’s oceans is impossible to accurately quantify, but localized research indicates that plastic pollution levels are currently vastly underestimated. These approximations account for polymer-based products from macro- to micro-scales, with emerging research focusing increasingly on the dangers presented by microplastics. Microplastics are tiny polymer particles that have […]
Outlining Laser Diffraction Particle Size Analysis
Multiple technologies and methods exist for performing particle size analysis with the intention of testing the mechanical, chemical, or biophysical properties of a sample. These methodologies include dynamic light scattering (DLS), permeability measurements, and laser diffraction particle size analysis. Laser diffraction particle size analysis is a common technique applied to measure particles ranging from nanometer […]
Using Permeameters for Environmental Applications
Modern environmental studies face a multiplicity of problems including the breadth of the sector itself, which encapsulates numerous disciplines and methodologies from across the world. Disparities between national or cultural priorities makes it difficult to draw accurate conclusions about the state of human interaction with global ecological systems – which is why it is important […]
Applications of Permeability Measurements
Permeability refers to the porous characteristics of an organic or inorganic material, incorporating a sample’s susceptibility to both liquid and vapor. Various measurement methodologies exist for the determination of a sample’s permeability via a permeameter, which uses both liquid and gas flow systems. In a typical permeameter, a sample will be loaded into a chamber […]