The new Hydro Insight: Clarifying your understanding of liquid suspended dispersions

by Anne Virden, Monday, 30th August 2021

As anyone who’s ever driven along an uneven track knows, the little bumps in the road quickly add up. The occasional small stone, or even a pothole, is no problem, but when the whole surface is rocky, the risk of damage to the car – and its passengers – increases, and fast.

Materials scientists face a similar problem. In many applications particles often need to be uniform in shape and size, as in metal powders for additive manufacturing, for example. One or two out-of-spec particles in a dispersion might not be a big issue, but the more inconsistent they are, the lower the performance of the material – and that certainly is a big deal.

A powerful partnership

How to overcome this? Laser diffraction technology is a common first step. It’s ideal for measuring the size of particles, but it can’t always answer questions about their shape. Luckily, the Hydro Insight is here to help!

Using our world-leading flow cell technology in conjunction with Vision Analytical’s dynamic imaging expertise, this new accessory is the perfect complement to our Mastersizer 3000 laser diffraction instrument. By bringing together the two tools, users can benefit from seeing the big picture on particles as small as 1 µm – with size data from laser diffraction bolstered by the Hydro Insight’s quantitative shape data and photos of individual particles and liquid dispersions.

Digging deep with data

With these images – which can be captured manually or automatically – and datasets, you can easily determine the type and cause of your outsized or jagged particles. Are they in their primary state, or agglomerated? Are these results dependent on the process used or on the measurement conditions? Whether you’re looking at spherical particles or flakes, the Hydro Insight can help you answer these and similar questions, enabling you to troubleshoot any unexpected results.

But there’s more: by using the Hydro Insight’s in-situ, real-time imaging alongside the Mastersizer 3000, you can optimize your particle-sizing method development thanks to the live view it provides of your dispersion. Plus, elongation and width data help users speed up the transfer from sieving to laser diffraction. The Hydro Insight opens a new window onto materials insights – giving you a deeper understanding of your materials’ properties and ultimately helping you develop higher quality products than ever before.

Helping you navigate a tricky path

From suspensions and slurries to powders, the challenges of materials analysis can be complex, but Hydro Insight frames the behavior and properties of your materials in a new light. Make the most of the valuable new perspectives it offers – and enjoy a smooth road ahead on your journey to success.

Curious to find out more? Join our technical webinar on Thursday, September 2, 2021. Our experts will be discussing even more advantages of the Hydro Insight dynamic imaging accessory and – of course – answering your questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

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