In addition to particle size, particle shape can also have a significant impact upon the performance and process handling of many particulate materials. Examples where particle shape measurements can be used to improve product performance include;
- Bioavailability of drug particles in tablets and suspensions
- Material strength in metal and ceramic sintered components
- Printing quality of toners and solder pastes
- Packing behavior of chromatography columns
- Quality of finish in mineral based coatings
- Cutting performance of SiC abrasives for solar panel manufacture.
Malvern Panalytical have a range of particle characterization instruments based upon the technique of image analysis that measure particle shape for both wet and dry dispersed samples from 0.5 microns up to several millimeters.