Measuring Particle Size: Using Modern Laser Diffraction Techniques
Paul Kippax discusses laser diffraction, one of the most widely used technologies for particle size measurement, its applications and benefits.
Particle size is a variable of significant interest to coatings manufacturers, as it has a direct impact on the quality of the finished product. Optical properties, such as opacity, tinting strength, undertone, film appearance and weather resistance, as well as bulk properties, including dispersion and flocculation characteristics, and viscosity, are all, to some extent, a function of particle size. It is therefore clear that manufacturers intent on optimizing product quality need an effective and reliable method of particle size analysis. Many different techniques have been devised for determining particle size distribution, but for a wide range of industries laser diffraction has become the preferred choice. Laser diffraction can be used for the non-destructive analysis of wet or dry samples, with particles in the size range 0.02 to 2,000 microns, and has inherent advantages that make it preferable to other options for many different materials.