Fine Particle Software - Experts in Particle Technology - Particle size measurement and sampling

Particle size measurement and sampling

Category: 3-day open course (also available as an in-company course anytime)
Date: to be announced

Course programme

Day 1
0915	Introduction to the course, properties of particulate materials, importance of sampling, isokinetic sampling
1045	Mechanical and manual sampling of powders and granular materials, subdivision of samples
1145	Definitions of particle size, equivalent diameters, dispersion of powders
1400	Particle populations, distributions of particle size, presentation of data, graph papers
1530	Measures of central tendency, the choice and the use of a mean particle size
1630	Practical session: conversions of distributions, calculations of mean particle size

Day 2
0915	Particle size in quality control, control charts
1045	Particle-fluid interaction, the sedimentation methods
1145	Gravitational and centrifugal sedimentometers
1400	Microscopy and image analysis
1530	Classification methods of particle size analysis
1630	Practical session: use of a sedimentometer
1830	Course dinner at a local restaurant

Day 3
0915	On-line particle size analysis: a review. Stream scanning and field scanning methods, continuous sampling
1045	Hydrodynamic chromatography and flow field fractionation, time-of-flight and other methods of particle size measurement
1145	The Coulter principle and its further developments
1400	Particle-light interaction, laser diffraction methods, photon correlation spectroscopy
1530	Equipment demonstrations, discussion
1630	Course closes

Further equipment demonstration sessions will be arranged to take place in between or during the lecture periods.

Course Manual

Each participant will receive a comprehensive course manual consisting of printed notes and hard copies of the graphics used. The course manual will also include the following software, on a CD ROM disk:

Instruction in the use and application of these programs will be given during the course.

Course fee for an open course: 1250 GBP (No VAT), to include the manual, software, lunches, coffees/teas and course dinner (refer to methods of payment for details).

Course description

Existing techniques for particle size measurement will be reviewed, described and recommended, and recent developments will also be discussed. The course, however, is not intended to cover all possible methods of particle size measurement but only the most relevant and modern ones. Prominent attention, right at the beginning of the course, is given to the importance and application of sampling which is considered to be an integral and vital part of particle size measurement.

The course also deals with fundamental aspects of particle size measurement such as the underlying statistics, the practical evaluation and significance of the various definitions of mean particle size, and the application of the SPC techniques to statistical measurement control.

Intended audience

The course is intended for practicing particle size analysts or anybody else involved in particle technology, and is aimed at providing participants with an understanding of basic principles and the application of these principles to real problems. The course is equally useful to people dealing with dry powders as to those dealing with liquid suspensions, emulsions, pastes or with particulates suspended in gases such as aerosols or dusts.

Previous experience in particulate systems is helpful but not necessary. The emphasis is on practical applications and practical problems. All the lecturers are actively engaged in research and consultancy in particle technology and the lectures and course manual incorporate the results of recent experience and research.

The lectures will be supplemented by demonstration of equipment and methods, and by practical sessions. To-date, we have made arrangements for demonstrating a photo-sedimentometer, a spinning riffler, a sampling thief, a Coulter-Counter, a low angle laser light scattering instrument and some image analyser software.

Modern teaching methods and computer graphics will be used by the tutors in order to achieve maximum efficiency of learning in the time available.

The course is to be given by Professor Svarovsky with a group of visiting speakers, all internationally established authorities on the subject. The course has been given in various forms annually in Bradford (and, more recently, in Bexhill) since the sixties and occasionally abroad, also as an in-house course in many companies worldwide. This version is revised and updated, and even more industrially oriented than the previous offerings.