The Definitive Guide To Particle Sizing

Understanding what makes a particle sizing technique well-suited to a specific application

The need for particle size information is common to many industries, but the technique used to acquire it is not. This is no accident. For many decades, engineers have developed and refined technology to size particles – both solid and liquid – and there is now a broad selection to choose from, with different solutions uniquely well-suited to different applications. Alternative sizing techniques produce numerically dissimilar values, making it possible to generate any number of particle sizes for a given sample.

There are often specific reasons why a particle sizing technique enjoys popularity within a certain industry, or for a given application, that stem directly from its measurement principles and the features that these confer. From all the powerful and highly effective technology available, one or two solutions typically provide the most valuable insight, with certain technologies particularly complementary to one another. Choosing the most appropriate technique(s) makes it possible to robustly differentiate samples from one another with sensitivity and relevance, in any given situation.

This paper provides an introduction to particle sizing comparing six widely used techniques, explaining how they work and what this means in terms of strengths and limitations. The aim is to provide the reader with the understanding needed to make informed particle sizing choices, well-matched to their requirements.