New sizing method for liquidborne particles with high dynamic range

A new liquid-borne particle counters is described that utilizes an optimized optical set-up to determine the size distribution and concentration by two different methods and to estimate the shape-factor of the suspended particles. The aim of this optimization was to achieve the appropriate optical conditions for such type of measurement, viz. determining the geometry of the illumination and detection, and calculating the testing volume and dependence of the parameters of detected signal on the particle size for pulse height and pulse duration methods performed at the same illumination and detection conditions. The main benefit of the developed device is the high dynamic range of the size determination of the micron-size liquid-borne particles and the possibility of estimating their shape-factor. The proposed measurement method was incorporated in a PC- controlled LQB-1-200-L-T liquid-borne laser particle counter developed on the basis of previous APC-03-2 and APC-03-2A air-borne particle counters and a LQB-1-200 liquid-borne particle counter.