The development of the measurement of particle concentration using a commercial laser diffraction particle size analyzer

A laser diffraction particle size analyzer based on the Fraunhofer diffraction theory has the advantages of real-time measurement of particle size distribution over a broad range. However, the dispersed particle number concentration is not displayed in commercially available analyzers. The method of measuring the dispersed particle number concentration was investigated for different particles having various shapes, i.e. spherical, cubical and prismoidal with a log-normal distribution, by considering the characteristics of the measured voltage of the set detector in relation to the diffracted light intensity using a commercial laser diffraction particle size analyzer. As a result, an approximate equation for the particle number concentration was proposed expressing the measured median diameter and the highest voltage measured by the detector. This equation was applicable to particles having various shapes, i.e. spherical, cubical and prismoidal. Furthermore, this technique can be used for the continuous measurement of the particle number concentration of growing crystals in the crystallizer for crystallization operation.