Particle Technology Labs articles

Most practitioners in the pharmaceutical, mining, environmental, paints and coatings, and other fields have reason to know the sizes of particles in a given powder or slurry sample. While many technologies exist to describe that collection of sizes, the reports delivered by those technologies are written in their own vocabulary. This particle size lexicon can convey a tremendous amount of information as long as the terms and their definitions are clearly understood and their underlying assump

The US Food and Drug Administration often requests the measurement of zeta potential; however, there is virtually no guidance offered in any of the regulatory pharmacopoeias. Guidelines are available in other standards, and there exists a wealth of information in texts and publications. Many of these are taken from non-pharmaceutical industries where zeta potential is routinely used as part of quality control criteria.

This discussion outlines current guidance to aid quality units

Given the wide range of particle sizing technologies and instrumentation on the market, the choice of measurement technique can be daunting, especially if one is unfamiliar with the options available. Once introduced and familiar with an individual technique, it can be easy to continue to choose it by default. While this is certainly understandable, it may prove a disservice when the technique is not optimal for the sample type.

When the particle size of a sample needs to be determ

The results obtained by a particle size analysis can easily be taken for granted. If the particle size distribution of a material must be quantified and reported, it is important that the full implications of the analytical technique and generated data are investigated and understood. While complying with designated testing methods and procedures is of great importance in a quality assurance environment, it can be argued that the purpose for testing is irrelevant if the results obtained by th

Surface area is an important property of solids with many industrial applications. Particle size is less influential on surface area than particle shape, texture, and porosity. Surface area calculated from particle size data should never be used independently. Isotherms are developed for materials to determine their behavior during gas adsorption under very cold temperatures. Characteristic isotherm shapes are defined by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemist ry (IUPAC) and used

Abstract
Image analysis is one method by which particle size may be measured. In many cases, it is considered the "gold standard" of particle size measurement and is often used to verify the results of other techniques. Sample particle size distributions are often broad, sometimes covering two to three decades of particle diameter. It is also common to analyze samples that are multi-modal (e.g., a single sample that may contain primary particles and hard agglomerates wit

Fine panicles are often characterized by their particle size and distribution as determined by various analytical instruments. Particle shape may be just as important as particle size. Particle shape, however, is often ignored or disregarded. Image analysis is a technique capable of measuring particle shape factors and providing valuable information. These shape factors may dictate the behavior of a product or correlate to a response of interest. Like all measurement techniques, there are lim

Abstract

The first installment of this two-part discussion concluded by stating a single linear measurement (i.e.. circular equivalent diameter) may not be adequate to describe a tj^ical non-spherical particle with some degree of surface roughness. There are various definitions and several standardized shape factors available that can provide additional descriptors to a particle population of interest. These valuable shape descriptors can be measured using image analy

Panicle size analysis is a vital analytical tool in the pharmaceutical industry. The results can be used to meet safety and quality specifications and provide information for product development and manufacturing. Modern techniques have made determining the particle size of a material quick and convenient, but many factors can influence the quality of data obtained.

While particle size analysis can provide great insight, it can be nearly meaningless if it is obtained improperly. A