The PartAn SI is a photo-optical image analysis module for in-depth analysis of the shape and other geometries of particles in a wet suspension or slurry. It measures the size and shape of particles between 5 μm to 2,000 μm.
The sample is illuminated by a stroboscopic LED, while a high speed high resolution camera records and stores the image of the particles while it is circulated through the sample cell. The images of the particles as it circulates past the sample cell is shown in real time on the software.
The PartAn SI provides 24 different morphological data of each particle such as the length, width, area, perimeter, aspect ratio, ellipse ratio, compactness, roundness, circularity, concavity and convexity. The images of the particles are saved and can be recalled at a later date for further studies.
Two Techniques – One Instrument:
The PartAn SI can also be attached to the S3500 or Bluewave to provide complimentary data on the shape of particles in a liquid sample. This integrates two popular techniques – Laser Diffraction for Size analysis and Dynamic Imaging for Shape analysis – to provide a synergy between the two complimenting data.
Laser Diffraction is a long established method of analysing the particle size distribution of samples. It is a fast technique that requires minimal sample preparation and can analyse particles over a broad size range – from nanometers to millimeters. However, Laser Diffraction is an ensemble technique, which is ideal for bulk sample measurements whereby the samples may be polydisperse. It is a volume-based technique which allows it to be sensitive to over-sized (out of spec) particles.
The PartAn SI provides morphological information of individual particles, as compared to ensemble data. It allows the system to pinpoint specific particles in the sample with small deviations in the morphology that might influence the bulk properties of the sample, as obtained using Laser Diffraction. It is a number-based technique which allows the system to be highly sensitive to the presence of fine particles in the bulk of the sample.
The sample is circulated through the two systems with a pump. The sample passes through the sample cell of the PartAn SI for the system to analyse the morphology of the particles. The particles continue to flow through the tubings into the sampling cell of the S3500 or the Bluewave, whereby the particle size distribution is measured. The sample flows back to the pump whereby it continues flowing through this sample path throughout the duration of the analysis, which takes less than 1 minute.
This allows the user to obtain the size distribution and morphology of the SAME sample, at the SAME concentration and at the SAME time! No other competing instrument in the market this powerful combination of data.
The PartAn 3D is a photo-optical image analyser that can features patented particle tracking technology to provide 3D images of individual particles in a dry powder sample. This allows the particles to be characterised according to more than 30 morphological parameters such as length, width, thickness, area, sphericity, aspect ratio, surface roughness, density and transparency. Thanks to particle tracking technology, the images of individual particles at different orientations can be associated to provide a full 3 dimensional representation.
The PartAn Mini is a photo-optical image analyser that can analyse the size and shape of fine powders. The particles can be characterised according to more than 30 morphological parameters such as length, width, area, sphericity, aspect ratio, surface roughness, density and transparency. Compressed air is used to overcome the Van der Waals attractive forces between particles to obtain a free flowing dispersion.