- Pharmaceutical and food industries product quality is affected by variations in the particle size of materials.
- Material handling processes are impacted by the size and shape of particles
- Process development is restricted by variations in the particle size of materials.
- Choosing personal protective equipment for protection against very fine particles.
- Selecting the correct filtration medium to recycle wastewater to meet environmental standards.
- Sedimentation rates of particles in water systems can adversely impact on flora and fauna.
- EPA and other regulatory bodies require characterisation of stack emissions and discharges.
Particle Size Analysis
Challenge
Solution
We use a range of techniques to measure the particle size of materials:
- Laser scattering measures the particle size distribution of powders, dusts and emulsions. This technique can measure particles between 0.1 um to 600 um in a liquid matrix.
- SEM-EDX (Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy Dispersive X-Ray) is used to characterise the size, shape and composition of trace quantities of particle emissions or dust samples.
- Wet and dry sieving with calibrated sieves is used to determine large particles.
- Sedimentation apparatus is used to determine settling rates, turbidity impacts and particle velocities.
Case Study
Wastewater treatment
As part of a project aimed at reducing the environmental impact of a large industrial operation, HRL investigated the wastewater generated by the plant. Advanced chemical and physical analysis techniques were applied to examine the properties and behaviour of the suspended materials in the wastewater. This enabled our team to develop an effective strategy to improve the plant's water treatment system. Not only did this provide significant reductions in the cost of treating the wastewater, it also assisted the company to meet regulatory requirements.
Additional Services
- ICP-OES
- XRD analysis
- Infra-Red (IR) and UV-Vis Spectroscopy
- Density (apparent, true and bulk)
- Surface area
- Pore volume distribution (Hg intrusion porosimetry)
- Rheology (viscosity)
Benefits Include
- Savings in milling costs by the improvement of the opera tion of milling and blending circuits.
- Consistent product quality.
- Meeting of quality control standards set for domestic and international markets.
- Accurate decisions relating to processes can be made first time, saving money and time.
- Protection of the safety of the client's people and the environment.
- Optimisation of processes to fulfil manufacturing specifications by the optimisation of particle size.
Click here to download our Particle Size Analysis services flyer
Here are the links to our Particle Size Analysis case studies
Particle Size Analysis Assists Environmental Assessment
HRL assists client with particle size distribution analysis of numerous soil samples
Particle Size Analysis Method for New Laboratories
HRL assists client with particle size analysis method development and system validation for new laboratories
Contacts
Callum Fergeus and Zachary Stute are two of HRL's particle size analysis expert consultants. They each have many years of experience working in our laboratory.
