Online characterisation of nanoparticle suspensions using dynamic light scattering, ultrasound spectroscopy and process tomography

Nanoparticle processing in industry faces major challenges in process scale-up and in maintaining consistency and reproducibility in product quality. Online characterisation of product quality and process conditions can help industry effectively address the challenges, because based on real-time measurements, process control and quality assurance strategies can be developed. This paper investigates the use of dynamic light scattering (DLS), ultrasound spectroscopy (USS) and electrical resistance tomography (ERT) for online characterisation of processes of nanoparticle suspensions. The integrated system provides real-time information of particle size distribution (PSD), zeta potential, conductivity and solid concentration and visualises the mixing behaviour between solid and liquid phases. In addition, ERT provides solid concentration data that is needed by DLS and USS for PSD characterisation. The study focuses on examining the impacts of solid concentration, zeta potential and mixing on the stability of suspension systems and the result of size characterisation. The knowledge learnt provides useful information for applying these sensors to nanoparticle manufacturing processes for online process and product quality control.

[1]  R. J. Hunter.  Recent developments in the electroacoustic characterisation of colloidal suspensions and emulsions , 1998 .

[2]  Massimo Morbidelli,et al.  On multiple-particle effects in the acoustic characterization of colloidal dispersions , 1999 .

[3]  Barton A. Smith,et al.  Apparatus and Methods for Laser Doppler Electrophoresis , 1978 .

[4]  Viscous attenuation of acoustic waves in suspensions , 1989 .

[5]  Felix Alba,et al.  Acoustic spectroscopy as a technique for the particle sizing of high concentration colloids, emulsions and suspensions , 1999 .

[6]  A. Szymczyk,et al.  Streaming potential through multilayer membranes , 2001 .

[7]  W. R. Schowalter,et al.  Flocculation of colloids suspended in a viscoelastic fluid undergoing shear , 1988 .

[8]  R. R. Rao,et al.  The characterisation of aqueous silicon slips , 1999 .

[9]  M. Lax.  Multiple Scattering of Waves , 1951 .

[10]  Richard R. Carhart,et al.  The Absorption of Sound in Suspensions and Emulsions. I. Water Fog in Air , 1953 .

[11]  K. Higashitani,et al.  Handbook on Ultrasonic and Dielectric Characterization Techniques for Suspended Particulates , 1999 .

[12]  A. Ahmad,et al.  Pulsed electrophoretic filter-cake release in dead-end membrane processes , 1997 .

[13]  Steven L. Ceccio,et al.  Validation of Electrical-Impedance Tomography for Measurements of Material Distribution in Two-Phase Flows , 2000 .

[14]  G. Mie.  Beiträge zur Optik trüber Medien, speziell kolloidaler Metallösungen , 1908 .

[15]  B. Vincent,et al.  The determination of very small electrophoretic mobilities in polar and nonpolar colloidal dispersions using phase analysis light scattering , 1991 .

[16]  A. Zydney,et al.  Contributions to electrostatic interactions on protein transport in membrane systems , 2001 .

[17]  A. S. Ahuja,et al.  Effect of Particle Viscosity on Propagation of Sound in Suspensions and Emulsions , 1972 .

[18]  Liu Xiaoping,et al.  Application of Electrical Resistance Tomography System to Monitor Gas/Liquid Two-Phase Flow in a Horizontal Pipe , 2001 .

[19]  Y. Georgalis,et al.  Accessing lysozyme nucleation with a novel dynamic light scattering detector. , 1998, Acta crystallographica. Section D, Biological crystallography.

[20]  P. Waterman,et al.  MULTIPLE SCATTERING OF WAVES , 1961 .

[21]  F. Babick,et al.  Dependence of ultrasonic attenuation on the material properties , 2000 .

[22]  R. W. O'Brien,et al.  Electro-acoustic effects in a dilute suspension of spherical particles , 1988, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[23]  I. Petkanchin,et al.  Transient electric light scattering. III. Investigation of the stability of palygorskite colloid solutions , 1972 .

[24]  D. Mcclements.  Ultrasonic characterisation of emulsions and suspensions , 1991 .

[25]  M. Hoare,et al.  The formation and growth of protein precipitates in a continuous stirred‐tank reactor , 1986 .

[26]  Jörg Schwedes,et al.  Mechanical production and stabilization of submicron particles in stirred media mills , 2003 .

[27]  C. Dobbs,et al.  The Use of Laser Backscatter Instrumentation for the on-line measurement of the particle size distribution of emulsions , 1993 .

[29]  M. J. Millen,et al.  On-line measurement of particle size in mineral slurries , 2002 .

[30]  M. Povey,et al.  Ultrasound techniques for characterizing colloidal dispersions , 2005 .

[31]  D. Wasan,et al.  Electrokinetic phenomena in the filtration of colloidal particles suspended in nonaqueous media , 1981 .

[32]  Povey.  Particulate characterization by ultrasound. , 2000, Pharmaceutical science & technology today.

[33]  G. Stevens,et al.  Measurement and theoretical modeling of protein mobility through membranes , 1999 .

[34]  S. Twomey.  Introduction to the Mathematics of Inversion in Remote Sensing and Indirect Measurements , 1997 .

[35]  H. Kytömaa,et al.  Acoustic wave speed and attenuation in suspensions , 1992 .

[36]  Jacob H. Masliyah,et al.  Role of fine clays in bitumen extraction from oil sands , 2004 .

[37]  P. J. Goetz,et al.  Acoustic and Electroacoustic Spectroscopy , 2000 .

[38]  J. Prausnitz,et al.  Phase equilibria for aqueous protein/polyelectrolyte gel systems , 1996 .

[39]  M. Clifton,et al.  Protein separation by continuous-flow electrophoresis in microgravity. , 1996, AIChE journal. American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

[40]  Feng Dong,et al.  Application of electrical resistance tomography to two-phase pipe flow parameters measurement , 2003 .

[41]  Andrei S. Dukhin,et al.  Ultrasound for characterizing colloids , 2004 .

[42]  A. H. Harker,et al.  Velocity and attenuation of ultrasound in suspensions of particles in fluids , 1988 .

[43]  J. Allegra,et al.  Attenuation of Sound in Suspensions and Emulsions: Theory and Experiments , 1972 .

[44]  F. Mcneil-Watson,et al.  A new instrument for the measurement of very small electrophoretic mobilities using phase analysis light scattering (PALS) , 1998 .

[45]  J. Ulrich,et al.  Use of the laser diffraction technique for particle size measurement at high suspension densities , 1990 .