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An Engineer’s Guide to Particle Size Analyzers

May 23, 2025

Particle size and distribution are critical to the performance, processing behavior, and quality of particulate materials across industries—from pharmaceuticals and food to mining, construction, and advanced materials. Engineers involved in product development, quality control, and process optimization need a solid grasp of particle sizing techniques, their principles, and their appropriate applications. This guide explores the leading technologies available today and how ATS-Scientific's particle analysis solutions meet the complex demands of modern industry.

Why Particle Size Matters

Particle size distribution affects a material’s surface area, flowability, reactivity, and packing density. For instance, smaller particles increase surface area and dissolution rates (key for pharmaceutical tablets), while larger, more uniform particles improve flow in manufacturing and reduce dust.

Precise particle size measurement enables engineers to:

Predict product behavior (e.g., solubility, absorption, sedimentation)
Optimize manufacturing (e.g., mixing, milling, spray drying)
Ensure consistency and compliance in final products

Primary Techniques for Particle Size Analysis

Laser Diffraction (LD): This widely used technique measures the angle and intensity of light scattered by a dispersed particulate sample. Laser diffraction is based on Mie theory and provides rapid, reproducible volume-based particle size distributions over a wide range (from submicron to millimeter scale). ATS-Scientific offers advanced laser diffraction analyzers, including integrated systems like the Microtrac SYNC, which combines LD with image analysis for dual data outputs.
Dynamic Image Analysis (DIA): DIA captures high-speed images of particles in flow and uses software to analyze size and shape characteristics, such as circularity, elongation, and aspect ratio. Unlike LD, which infers spherical equivalent diameter, image analysis delivers true shape and size data. The SYNC analyzer from ATS allows simultaneous LD and DIA analysis in a single workflow, giving engineers a more complete picture of particle morphology and distribution.
Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS): DLS determines the hydrodynamic size of small particles (typically below 1 micron) in suspension by measuring fluctuations in light scattering due to Brownian motion. It is ideal for nanoparticle analysis but less suitable for broad or polydisperse samples.
Sieve Analysis and Sedimentation: Traditional techniques like sieve stacks or sedimentation (Stokes' Law) are still used for coarse or specific applications but are slower, less automated, and limited in resolution compared to optical techniques.

Choosing the Right Method to Measure Particles

Each particle size analysis technique has strengths and trade-offs:

Laser Diffraction is ideal for fast, high-throughput sizing of powders and slurries with wide distributions.
Dynamic Image Analysis is best when particle shape and structure matter (e.g., needles, flakes, granules).
DLS is necessary for nanoparticle suspensions in colloid chemistry or biological formulations.

Key factors when selecting a particle sizing method include:

Sample type (wet or dry)
Size range and distribution
Required throughput and automation
Sensitivity to particle shape and agglomerates

ATS-Scientific supports engineers in method selection, offering modular systems with both dry and wet dispersion capabilities, high-resolution optics, and intuitive software.

ATS-Scientific Solutions for Particle Sizing

ATS offers a full range of particle size analyzers, including:

Microtrac SYNC: Combines laser diffraction and image analysis for comprehensive particle characterization in a single instrument.
S3500 Series: A modular laser diffraction system for high-volume QC and research applications.
Nanotrac Wave II: DLS-based analyzer for nanomaterials and submicron particles.
Aerotrac and Beltac series: Designed for aerosol and environmental particle analysis.

These systems are equipped with automation options, wet and dry dispersion modules, and software for real-time visualization, trend analysis, and regulatory documentation. ATS also provides application support, calibration standards, and service plans to ensure long-term performance.

Best Practices for Reliable Data

Regardless of the technique, good practices in sample preparation, dispersion, and instrument calibration are essential:

Dispersion: Agglomerated particles must be properly dispersed, using ultrasonic treatment or surfactants if necessary.
Refractive Index: Correct input of sample and dispersant refractive indices is crucial for LD and DLS accuracy.
Validation: Use certified reference materials (CRMs) and perform regular checks with standard samples.
Environmental Control: For nanomaterials, temperature and vibration stability can affect DLS results.

ATS helps labs establish SOPs and offers training to ensure reproducible, defensible data.

Interested in Upgrading to a Particle Size Analyzer?

Understanding particle size analysis is vital for engineers tasked with material development, process optimization, or quality control. With a range of techniques suited to different particle types and applications, choosing the right tool requires both technical knowledge and hands-on support.

ATS-Scientific delivers advanced particle analysis systems and expert guidance to help engineers get the accurate, actionable data they need. Whether measuring cement powders, pharmaceutical granules, or food emulsions, ATS's solutions ensure precision, compliance, and confidence in every analysis.

What Every Pharmaceutical Lab Should Know About SamplePrep Precision

May 21, 2025

Sample preparation plays a critical role in pharmaceutical laboratories. From solid dosages like tablets to finished products, meticulous analysis is required, and the process begins with precision in your sample preparation. This step ensures that the samples being analyzed produce results which are accurate and reproducible.

Why Precise SamplePrep is so Important

Homogenization: Achieving uniform particle size to ensure representative sampling.
Avoids Contamination: Preventing cross-contamination between samples.
Efficiency: Reducing preparation time without compromising accuracy.

Traditional methods, such as manual grinding with mortars and pestles, are time-consuming and prone to too much variability between batches. Modern laboratories require solutions that offer consistency, speed, and compliance with stringent regulatory standards. ATS Scientific offers a range of Retsch SamplePrep solutions which address these challenges. Here’s how:

1. Enhanced Homogeneity for Accurate Analysis

ATS offers a suite of Retsch instruments which ensure uniform particle size distribution, minimizing variability and enhancing the reliability of analytical results. This is crucial for methods like HPLC, NIR, and dissolution testing, where sample consistency directly impacts data integrity.

2. Minimized Contamination Risks

Utilizing components made from inert materials and offering closed-system processing, ATS provides solutions to contamination risks which help maintain the purity of samples, vital for accurate API quantification.

3. Optimized Efficiency and Throughput

Time is a critical factor in pharmaceutical analysis. Retsch's solutions streamline the sample preparation process, significantly reducing preparation time compared to traditional methods. This efficiency enables laboratories to handle higher sample volumes without compromising on quality.

4. Compliance with Regulatory Standards

Pharmaceutical laboratories operate under strict regulatory frameworks. Retsch's equipment is designed to meet these standards, offering features that support compliance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines.

Pharmaceutical Sample Preparation Solutions from ATS

ATS boasts a suite of sample preparation instruments commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry. Here we provide a few examples of ATS’s solutions designed to improve your sample preparation workflow:

· Mixer Mills for homogenizing tablet components, mixing active ingredients (APIs) and cryogenic grinding for temperature sensitive materials

· Centrifugal mills: for the preparation of granulates or powders for dissolution testing. This is commonly used in pharmaceutical labs for the milling of raw plant materials for herbal medicine.

· Cutting Mills: Ideal for SamplePrep of gel capsules and cutting up blister packs for analysis.

· Cryogenic Mills: Designed for size reduction of oily samples while maintaining chemical stability of volatile compounds

· Sieve Shakers: Ensures accurate quality control of powder formulas and essential for determining uniformity and granule size.

Exploring Sample Preparation Solutions for Your Laboratory?

Incorporating ATS's advanced sample preparation solutions into your laboratory workflow can lead to improved reliability of your analytical results, increase your lab’s productivity with faster preparation times, and regulatory confidence with a full range of equipment designed to ensure adherence to industry standards.

Whether you are upgrading your lab’s workflow or starting from scratch, ATS’s expertise and technology can help you with product recommendations to ensure your lab produces results which are precise, uniform and reproducible.

How to Scale-Up Organic Sample Preparation

May 19, 2025

Scaling up organic sample preparation — from lab-scale methods to larger batch or continuous processing — presents both technical and operational challenges. In industries such as environmental testing, food and beverage, or pharmaceuticals, maintaining data integrity while increasing throughput is crucial. Effective scale-up is not simply a matter of using larger equipment; it requires thoughtful adjustments to extraction methods, mixing, digestion, evaporation, and automation. ATS-Scientific offers a full spectrum of scalable sample preparation solutions, helping laboratories meet the demand for volume without compromising quality or compliance.

Why Scale-Up Matters

As labs move from R&D or quality control environments to pilot-scale production or routine high-throughput testing, scaling up sample prep becomes essential. However, larger batch sizes can introduce new variables—such as uneven heating, poor homogenization, solvent loss, or lower extraction efficiency. By anticipating and addressing these issues, labs can reduce method variability, improve reproducibility, and stay aligned with regulatory standards.

Key Considerations When Scaling

Nonlinear Process Effects: Doubling the sample size doesn’t always mean doubling the output. Variables like solvent penetration, temperature distribution, and reaction kinetics behave differently at scale. Homogeneity and reproducibility can suffer if scale-up isn’t engineered carefully.
Equipment Geometry and Design: Larger vessels or extraction chambers have different surface-area-to-volume ratios, which can affect heat transfer and mixing. ATS-Scientific’s sample prep instruments, including high-capacity homogenizers and solvent extractors, are designed to maintain efficiency and consistency across a range of scales.
Safety and Environmental Control: Handling greater volumes of solvents or potentially hazardous samples increases the importance of closed systems, pressure control, and solvent recovery. ATS offers automated digestion and distillation systems with integrated safety features and exhaust management.

Scalable Sample Preparation Solutions from ATS

Bulk Homogenization and Grinding: Consistent particle size is key to representative sampling and efficient extraction. ATS provides cryogenic and high-capacity mills for homogenizing tough or temperature-sensitive samples at scale.
High-Throughput Solvent Extraction: Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE) and automated Soxhlet systems enable fast, repeatable extraction of analytes from complex matrices. ATS’s extractor units are designed for batch processing with programmable parameters, making them ideal for scaling standard AOAC or EPA methods.
Automated Digestion and Distillation: For analyses requiring protein, nitrogen, or fiber quantification, ATS offers digestion units with multiple-sample handling capabilities, such as 6- or 20-place digesters, along with matching distillation systems. These systems ensure uniform heating and reduce manual error, key for accurate Kjeldahl or sulfur analysis.
Evaporation and Concentration: Large-capacity rotary evaporators and vacuum concentrators are essential when scaling up extraction workflows. ATS provides solvent recovery solutions that maintain safety and minimize energy use while preserving analyte integrity.

Automation and Workflow Integration

Automation plays a critical role in ensuring consistency and reducing hands-on time as sample volumes increase. ATS instruments support autosamplers, programmable protocols, barcode tracking, and LIMS integration to streamline scaled-up workflows. Many systems feature built-in temperature, pressure, and solvent flow monitoring to ensure that scaled protocols stay within validated ranges.

Furthermore, ATS’s instrumentation complies with key standards (AOAC, EPA, ISO), which supports method transferability from lab to production environments.

Maintaining Analytical Quality at Scale

Method Validation: Scaled-up methods should be validated against their lab-scale counterparts using certified reference materials and recovery testing. Consistency in extraction efficiency, analyte recovery, and reproducibility must be demonstrated to maintain analytical integrity.
Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance: Implementing QC checkpoints throughout the sample prep process—such as blanks, spikes, and duplicates—helps identify deviations early. ATS provides guidance on instrument maintenance and calibration routines to ensure long-term reliability.
Documentation and Traceability: With increasing sample loads, digital documentation becomes even more important. ATS’s data systems support audit-ready recordkeeping, method traceability, and automated reporting to support regulatory audits and client transparency.

Looking to Scale Your Organic Sample Preparation?

Scaling up organic sample preparation is a complex but manageable process when approached methodically. From adjusting solvent ratios and heating profiles to adopting higher-capacity equipment and automation, each decision influences analytical quality and efficiency.

ATS-Scientific’s scalable solutions—including homogenizers, solvent extractors, digestion/distillation systems, and evaporators—are engineered for performance, safety, and regulatory alignment. Whether you’re scaling up for routine analysis or preparing for commercial production, ATS’s expertise and technology can help you bridge the gap between precision and productivity.

What Every Food Scientist Should Know About Nutritional Analysis Tools

May 15, 2025

Nutritional analysis is a foundational element in food science. Whether you're formulating a new product, verifying nutritional labels, or ensuring compliance with food safety regulations, precise quantification of nutrients is essential. A wide variety of analytical tools are available to help food scientists measure the chemical composition of food accurately and efficiently. Understanding how these tools work, when to use them, and how to interpret the data they provide is key to maintaining product quality and meeting regulatory standards.

Why Nutritional Analysis Matters

Nutritional analysis supports critical decisions in product development, quality assurance, labeling, and regulatory compliance. Nutrient content can vary based on raw materials, processing methods, and storage conditions. Consistent, accurate analysis helps manufacturers maintain brand integrity and meet national and international standards such as those from the FDA, CFIA, and EU regulatory bodies.

Modern instrumentation has significantly improved the speed and accuracy of nutrient measurement, offering food scientists greater flexibility in testing strategies and quality control.

Key Macronutrient Testing Tools

Protein Analysis: The most common methods for determining protein content are the Kjeldahl and Dumas (combustion) methods. Both measure nitrogen content, which is then converted to protein using a standardized factor. ATS-Scientific supplies both Kjeldahl digestion/distillation systems and CHNS analyzers that support Dumas combustion, offering reliable, high-throughput solutions suitable for food matrices.
Fat Extraction: Traditional Soxhlet extraction remains a gold standard, but modern accelerated solvent extraction systems provide faster, more automated workflows. ATS offers solvent extraction systems that comply with AOAC and ISO methods, enabling total fat quantification across a wide range of sample types.
Carbohydrates and Fiber: Total carbohydrates are often calculated by difference, but specific sugars can be measured using HPLC or enzymatic assays. For dietary fiber, gravimetric methods like those outlined by AOAC require precise digestion and filtration steps. ATS-Scientific supports this with fiber analyzers and digestion units suitable for crude and total dietary fiber determination.
Moisture and Ash: Gravimetric moisture analyzers and muffle furnaces for ash content are essential tools for proximate analysis. ATS offers a range of moisture balances and combustion systems ideal for routine use in food labs.

Micronutrient and Elemental Analysis

Vitamin Analysis: While many vitamins require chromatography (HPLC or LC-MS) for accurate measurement, some—like vitamin C—can be quantified using titration or UV-Vis spectroscopy. ATS-Scientific provides colorimetric and UV-Vis spectrophotometric analyzers well-suited to routine vitamin assays.
Minerals and Trace Elements: Techniques such as atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES/MS), and ion chromatography are used to quantify essential minerals and detect contaminants. ATS offers systems capable of these analyses and supports users in meeting strict regulatory requirements for mineral content in food.
CHNS/O Analysis: Elemental analyzers that determine carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen are used to provide compositional insight and support caloric value calculations. ATS’s CHNS analyzers are particularly effective for food scientists seeking a comprehensive view of a product’s organic makeup.

Rapid Screening with Spectroscopy

UV-Vis spectroscopy is used extensively for routine nutrient and contaminant detection. For example, colorimetric assays for iron, phosphates, or certain vitamins can be performed quickly and accurately using ATS-Scientific's spectrophotometric solutions.

Compliance, Data Management, and Integration

Effective nutritional analysis also depends on rigorous data management and method compliance. ATS’s instruments support standard methods (AOAC, ISO, EPA) and offer software integration options that ensure traceability, automate calculations, and streamline reporting.

Automated sample loaders, barcode systems, and LIMS integration enhance workflow efficiency in high-throughput environments, making it easier for labs to maintain consistency and meet audit requirements.

Looking for Lab Instruments for Nutritional Analysis?

Nutritional analysis is more than a regulatory checkbox—it’s a critical component of quality assurance and product development. With the right tools and workflows, food scientists can generate reliable, reproducible data to guide decisions and meet consumer expectations.

ATS-Scientific provides a full suite of lab instruments for nutritional analysis—from CHNS analyzers and digestion units to spectroscopy and automated sample prep systems. Backed by expert technical support and compliance-ready software, our solutions help food labs improve accuracy, speed, and operational confidence.

Whether you're just starting to build your lab's capabilities or scaling up for commercial production, understanding and applying the right nutritional analysis tools will set the foundation for success.

Automation for Reliable Pharmaceutical Tablet Testing

May 14, 2025

A major challenge for the pharmaceutical industry, is ensuring the quality and consistency. To alleviate this concern, pharma companies constantly look to improve their workflow safety, consistentcy and ultimately meeting stringent regulations; this prevents expensive product-recalls and ensures brand integrity. Considerations including tablet thickness, hardness, weight, size, and shape need to be taken into account to ensure the correct dosage, prevent problems in the manufacturing process, and make the tablet itself easy to swallow.

Whether you're testing solid tablets or capsules, ensuring there is no variability from one batch to another is critical. Here’s why:

Weight: Measuring for the weight of each tablet ensures that there is a consistent dosage. Inconsistent weights may result in an over or under dosage causing ineffective treatment
Thickness: The thickness of each pharmaceutical is important when considering the pill or capsules dissolution and its effectiveness. The thickness measurement also helps in ensuring consistency.
Width & Length: This comes down to the experience of swallowing this medication. Too large and the tablet itself could present itself as a choking-hazard or prevent the user from swallowing the tablet at all.
Hardness: The hardness of each tablet is essential to ensure the proper time-release of the pharmaceutical and prevents breaking or chipping. The hardness is also useful for making sure the tablet is in a useable state when received by the user.

Labs who employ manual testing methods in their workflow find the process extremely time consuming and struggle to ensure both accuracy and consistency. As this is realized and the struggle becomes more evident, pharmaceutical labs are turning to automated solutions for their tablet testing. Automation streamlines your workflow from R&D to final production and ensures a reliable and consistent pharmaceutical tablet without compromising quality.

In keeping with the integration of an automated system in your lab, consider the time saving measures. A fully automated tablet tester is capable of providing test results in a fraction of the time, increasing your throughput capabilities and allowing you to perform other laboratory tasks while the unit processes your samples.

The ERWEKA EasyCheck is a low-profile unit for fully automatic and high-precision testing of your tablets for precise weight, thickness, size and hardness with limited human intervention. Improving your workflow even further, the EasyCheck saves up to 1 million results directly on the unit so that you will never have to worry about missing data and will have an audit trail for future reference.

If challenges of ensuring product quality and consistency are slowing your workflow, now is the time to consider automation as a solution to your pharmaceutical testing requirements.

Curious about automating your lab’s workflow and improving efficiency?
Click here to read more and learn how

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