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Improved Accuracy in the Measurement of Particle Size Distribution with a coulter counter equipped with a hydrodynamically focused aperture
Author(s) -
Göransson Billy
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
particle and particle systems characterization
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.877
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1521-4117
pISSN - 0934-0866
DOI - 10.1002/ppsc.19900070102
Subject(s) - coulter counter , aperture (computer memory) , particle (ecology) , standard deviation , optics , materials science , particle size distribution , particle size , analytical chemistry (journal) , physics , chemistry , chromatography , geology , mathematics , acoustics , statistics , oceanography , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
It is well known that broadening of the observed particle size distribution occurs both at the finer end and at the coarser end of the distribution when using the Coulter Counter. This problem can partly be overcome with the aid of electronic pulse editing. However, it has been found that the accuracy can be further improved when the Coulter Counter is equipped with a hydrodynamically focused (HDF) aperture. The standard deviations of the main peaks of samples with diameters of 5.0, 10.2, 15.1 and 20.0 m̈m decreased by 21%‐49% with HDF. HDF also prevents artefacts at the fine side of the main peak that originate from particles re‐entering the sensing zone of a standard aperture after they have passed through it. In the experimental model used i.e. a silica sample with a diameter of 15.6 m̈m, the estimate of small particles (>10 μm) decreased from 6.5% to 0.4%.