Laser Diffraction and TOT

Topics Covered:
Competitor version of TOT Facts of TOT Facts of Laser Diffraction Laser Diffraction Is it a viable technique??

Competitor Comment!! Time of Transition

A Laser, but not Laser Diffraction

The particles are scanned by a rotating laser beam.

Only particles in the focussed area are measured

YES, They are right!!

It is not Laser Diffraction It is a better technique than Laser Diffraction IT IS TIME OF TRANSITION!

YES, Particles are scanned by the rotating laser beam

This would allow measurement in the time domain

Time Of Transition
Time Domain Measurement:

A rotating laser beam scans single particles within its focus. The diameter of the particle is directly correlated to the Time-Of-Transition.

Time Of Transition
The Time Of Transition (t) together with the known rotation velocity of the laser beam (v) makes it possible to calculate the particle diameter (D):

D=v.t
In relation to the high speed of the rotating laser, the particles are stationary. So, particle movement does not effect particle size measurement. No requirement for pre-knowledge of: - Refractive index - Temperature - Viscosity variation - Electrical conductivity

Laser Diffraction

Resolution limited by Number of Detectors ! Higher the number better the resolution Failure of one detector cost to be paid for all detectors!! Huge Maintenance Costs !!! Optics alignment is critical for proper measurement!

IS this possible in Laser Diffraction??

Can Laser Diffraction systems analyse samples without the knowledge of
Refractive Index of Sample Refractive Index of Dispersant Temperature (RI is dependant on Temperature) Sample that is transparent (As the fundamental assumption is particles are opaque) High Concentration Samples (Which cause multiple diffraction) Contd

IS this possible in Laser Diffraction??....

Can Laser Diffraction systems analyse samples
That are fibres, needle-like and irregular shapes For Particles that are not spherical For viscous samples Samples that are mixtures (have samples of different RIs)

THE ANSWER IS

NO for Laser Diffraction

YES for TOT

NO by Laser Diffraction because

Fundamental Assumptions:
Particles are to be spherical Particles are to be opaque No Multiple Scattering Events Total Diffraction = Sum of Individual Random Particle Orientation Spherical Equivalent Diameter Data Volume (Weight) based Results Limited resolution depends up on the number of detectors

Fact is
Not all particles are spherical Not all particles are opaque Not all particles diffract light with equal efficiencies Can Laser Diffraction take care of all this??

YES by TOT because

NO Fundamental Assumptions
Measurements are in time domain, Hence
No need of knowledge of RI, Temperature All samples including fibers can be measured Can take higher concentrations Mixtures can be analysed without any problem. .contd

More from TOT

Results are not just volume based. You can also get number based, area based, length based etc Laser light intensity and power fluctuations dont affect measurements (as in Laser Diffraction) since the measurements are based on Time Domain.

Competitor Comment !! Time of Transition

A Laser, but not Laser Diffraction

The particles are counted (number distribution)

However because the same particle can be counted many times, it cannot be a true absolute particle counter

FACTS
It is not just number distribution that TOT provides, but also volume, area, length etc When the sample is in circulation, all techniques (including Laser Diffraction) measure the same particles several times. Whats a big difference in Laser Diffraction!! The sample can be made to not circulate hence avoid interaction with same particle this is true with Laser Diffraction also. AN INVALID COMMENT FROM COMPETITION

Competitors Comment !! Time of Transition

A Laser, but not Laser Diffraction

Because only particles in the focussed area are accepted, up to 97% of data is rejected. The sizing information is therefore unrepresentative and unreliable.

FACTS
Is there any practical data for showing that 97% of data is rejected ? Particles are measured in the focused area even in Laser Diffraction. Does that also mean Laser Diffraction provides data which is 3% and still Laser Diffraction data is reliable?? What is important is the representative data and concentration of particles measurable. Beyond doubt, Laser diffraction can accept lower concentration (otherwise it will lead to multiple diffraction) than TOT.

Competitors Comment ! ! Time of Transition

A Laser, but not Laser Diffraction

This technology satisfies none of the criteria laid down in ISO13320 for a laser diffraction particle sizer

ISO 13320
Yes, ISO 13320 mentions about Laser Diffraction It also specifies that Minimum particle size measurable is 40 * , where is the wavelength of light source. For a laser which is 532.8nm, minimum particle size measurable is 25 microns. This means Laser Diffraction is not suitable for particle sizes less than 25 microns !! This is a limitation besides other limitations discussed in previous slides.

Want to learn more about Laser Diffraction drawbacks !!!

Refer to the presentation on False Assumptions: Laser Diffraction PSA Systems Exposed by Richard N Kelly Principal Scientist JJPRD. If you dont have one, request for the same. Refer www.ankersmid.com Contact Technical Trade Links Pvt. Ltd., www.ttlindia.com Write to sudhindra@ttlindia.com