Intertek MSG has recently conducted a wide-ranging evaluation of commercially available instrumentation for analyzing particle size distributions in nano-particle dispersions. Following this extensive review Intertek MSG chose to purchase the CPS DC24000 Disc Centrifuge instrument to complement their already impressive range of equipment for materials characterization.
This model of CPS Disc Centrifuge has the capability to resolve multi-modal particle distributions as is shown in the figure above. Here, a number of separate populations of gold particles with diameters down to around 15 nm are being analyzed. Depending on particle density, the CPS Disc Centrifuge can be configured (using a variety of run conditions) to accurately measure particle diameters between 3 nm and 75 microns.
Intertek MSG has been providing measurement science services to a range industries including the ICI Group (of which it used to be a part) for the last 30 years. Intertek MSG is one of the core providers for the NanoCentral project, a DTI-funded initiative that aims to facilitate nanomaterial commercialisation, and has made specific instrument purchases to widen the range of services that it offers.
Dr. Bill Meredith, Team Leader of the Particle Sizing section at Intertek MSG, said ; “Accurate, consistent, but also high resolution analysis of nano-particle distributions in aqueous and non-aqueous liquids is very important in the highly varied work we do for our customers. Our existing instruments such as PCCS and laser diffraction are very useful, but in some cases they either do not tell the whole story or cannot analyse the very small, eg. sub-50 nm, particles, to the required resolution. The CPS Disc Centrifuge therefore complements our current particle sizing equipment extremely well.”
For more information on Intertek MSG facilities please visit www.measurementscience.co.uk.