Ultra high-resolution particle size characterization using DCS technique

Analytik has published a white paper that provides an informative introduction to particle size characterization using the Differential Centrifugal Sedimentation (DCS) technique.

CPS DC24000 'in action'

Differential Centrifugal Sedimentation is an extremely powerful tool for high-resolution particle characterization, especially in the size range 0.002 micron (2nm) to 10 microns. It enables very narrow distributions of particles differing in size by less than 2 per cent to be resolved, and hence extremely small differences, changes or shifts in particle size to be accurately and reproducibly detected and measured. The accuracy and reliability of DCS data also enables the technique to be used quantitatively to derive weight and number distributions. Beneficially DCS also produces particle sizing results that are comparable to data resulting from Optical and Scanning Electron Microscopic analyses.

After providing a useful introduction to the theory behind Differential Centrifugal Sedimentation - the white paper discusses different instrumental designs, operational considerations and includes results data from applications that can benefit from the technique. The white paper also introduces a new DCS method for measurement of low density, neutral buoyancy particles, a previous technical limitation of the technique.

DCS white paper

The white paper concludes that recent advances in Differential Centrifugal Sedimentation instrumentation have improved the technique with respect to ease of use, speed of analysis, accuracy and multiple sample measurement.