A 12-year evolution – Part 2 : Choose the right tools for the job

Jenny: We are Application Specialists based in Malvern in the UK, and between us we have over twenty years of experience with the Mastersizer. We’re involved in everything from demonstrations and conducting feasibility studies on customer samples, through to training and technical support. We also occasionally appear as speakers in Malvern Panalytical webinars and contribute to writing technical and application notes to highlight developments and areas of interest in the laser diffraction landscape. Our aim is to make users get the most out of the Mastersizer 3000. 

John: The Hydro wet dispersion accessories differ primarily by volume and level of automation. We have the Hydro SV, Hydro MV and Hydro LV automated accessories – standing for small, medium and large volume respectively.  
 
Jenny: We also have our more manual accessories, the long-serving Hydro SM, and the Hydro EV which can take beakers of different sizes. We’ve heard many guesses as to what the E might stand for. Drum roll please…. it’s exchangeable volume. The Hydro SV takes just 6 mL of dispersant, while the Hydro EV can accommodate 1 L beakers!  
 
John: And for dry dispersion, we have options too. The Aero S is our fully automated dry dispersion accessory for the Mastersizer 3000, with the Aero M available for the Mastersizer 3000E. The Aero S features a modular design, allowing for a wide range of powders to be measured, with a range of trays and venturi types available.  

Ben: Dry measurements have the advantage of being quick to perform and minimizing waste – air is used to disperse the particles. We also don’t need to worry about how our dispersant will interact with the particles, simplifying the process. There are less variables to consider when using a dry powder accessory. Both the Aero S and Aero M provide excellent solutions for measuring dry powders, from the micron range all the way up to 3.5 mm.   
 
Wet dispersions extend the range of products that can be analyzed using the Mastersizer 3000 – not only can we still measure dry powders by dispersing them in a suitable liquid, but we now have the option of looking at emulsions and suspensions. In addition, the use of liquid dispersants allows us to reduce the attractive forces between the smallest of particles, meaning that we can now disperse nanoparticles which would otherwise form clusters if measured dry. This additional interaction can help us successfully disperse sticky or clumpy samples, which would be more challenging to do dry. 

Ben: The vast range of accessories means that we have all applications covered. The Hydro SV is perfect for measuring small particles where you only have precious amounts of sample or dispersant. It allows the user to get reproducible particle size distribution measurements with only a few milligrams of sample. When looking at larger particles such as coffee grains, we have the option of adding the funnel feeder to our Aero accessories allowing for continuous, high throughput measurements of materials.   
 
Jenny: Plus, up to three accessories can be connected to the MS3000 optical bench at one time and are controlled through the software. Simply swap the measurement cell to move between measuring wet and dry – the MS3000 software recognizes what’s been connected and even remembers the last settings used! 

Jenny: I think we agree that it’s the Hydro MV due to its versatility and ease of use. There’s not much we haven’t measured on a Hydro MV! I do like watching the dispersion taking place in a Hydro EV though, you can see soil samples dispersing before your eyes and track their deagglomeration with the MS3000 trend view at the same time. When it comes to running measurements quickly, nothing beats the speed of setting up and measuring powders on the Aero S.  
 
Ben: Dispersion units aren’t the only accessories for the Mastersizer 3000. The Hydro Insight can help provide valuable information on particle shape, aid with the method development of your Mastersizer 3000 measurements and troubleshoot unexpected results.  

Tina: We have just launched the Mastersizer Auto-Lab which allows automation of the Mastersizer measurements and will run the Mastersizer SOP. It can measure up to 42 samples and for those instances where samples need to be measured urgently, we have a priority tray which can be added into the system at any time to measure up to 3 samples.  
 
Greg: It is available with both Hydro LV and Hydro MV.  It removes potential sampling errors with its plunger and flush feature to make sure all the sample is analyzed. 
 
Tina: The system was developed by our Process and Automation Solution (PAS) team working across our two sites in Malvern and Almelo and this team has a huge wealth of experience in the automation of other products such as the Insitec and products for XRD/XRF technologies.