The Science Behind Nanobubbles: A 3-Part Tale!
Most scientists categorize nanobubbles as bubbles that are around 100 -200 nanometers in diameter. At this size, nanobubbles are nanoscopic, meaning they cannot be viewed with the unaided eye. It’s hard to truly grasp the small size of nanobubbles. Nanobubbles contain gases, typically air or oxygen, though any gas can be used. Due to their size and charge, nanobubbles exhibit unique properties that improve numerous physical, chemical, and biological processes.
One of the key properties of nanobubbles is their neutral buoyancy, which means they can remain suspended in liquid for months without rising to the surface and releasing their gases. Large bubbles such as those you visually see in a fish tank with the naked eye are much bigger and buoyant and thus quickly rise to the surface and escape into the atmosphere.
The major difference between larger bubbles of the micro and millimeter scale is that you cannot see ultra-fine bubbles with the naked eye. Thus, establishing consistent and reliable methods of generation and characterization is critical for various applications.
The Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) technique through the NanoSight product range from Malvern Panalytical is particularly adept at the detection and analysis (size, size distribution, number concentration) of the relatively low concentration nanobubble structures of extremely small size (compared to ‘conventional’ bubbles). NTA offers a unique capability to characterize nanobubbles by directly visualizing nanoscale particles in suspension (10 nm to 1000 nm) with high resolution, in real-time, and with minimal sample preparation. NanoSight from Malvern Panalytical pioneered this technique and continues to be the industry’s primary choice.
The Electrophoretic Light Scattering (ELS) technique through the Zetasizer product range is key to understanding nanobubbles’ colloidal stability through zeta potential measurements. You can measure the overall effective charge of nanobubbles. Various gasses might typically yield negative charges anywhere from -20 to -27 mV. Adding salt will lower the absolute value due to Debye screening. The Zetasizer can measure the zeta potential of bubbles anywhere from a few nanometers to 100 micrometers in diameter.
Over the past 10 months, Moleaer and Malvern Panalytical have collaborated to present a three-part nanobubbles webinar series, exploring the theory behind nanobubbles, their formation, characterization, and various applications. We appreciated your attendance and questions. As a single point of reference for these three webinars, this blog provides a summary of the different events. We also have posted a blog with answers to all the questions that were asked during the webinars! Please read them here:
Blog: The Science Behind Nanobubbles – Webinar Series Q&A
However, we welcome you to contact us to further discuss your specific research needs. Our goal is to provide you with the best solution for the generation and characterization of your nanobubbles.
Here are the three webinars in chronological order:
The Science Behind Nanobubbles: An Introduction with Malvern Panalytical & Moleaer
- Learn about this new frontier in science and how it is changing how entire industries utilize and treat their water
- Learn about the benefits of nanobubbles
- Learn about the unique properties and behaviors of nanobubbles
- Learn how the NanoSight and Zetasizer characterize nanobubbles
- Learn how nanobubble technology provides chemical-free and sustainable solutions for growers worldwide
- Hear case studies of how nanobubbles improved the health and yields of several types of crops
- Find out how nanobubbles for agricultural applications can be characterized with Malvern Panalytical’s suite of technologies including NanoSight and Zetasizer
- Find out how nanobubbles make wastewater easier to treat by converting slowly biodegradable contaminants like fats, oils, grease (FOG) and surfactants to readily biodegradable compounds
- Learn how nanobubbles reduce odors, scum, process upsets and the cost to treat wastewater
- Discover how the NanoSight NS300 and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) are used to characterize nanobubble solutions for application development
Further Reading
- Blog: The Science Behind Nanobubbles – Webinar Series Q&A
- Learn more about the new NanoSight Pro!
- Learn more about the Zetasizer Advance Range!
- Moleaer’s blog: What are nanobubbles
- Moleaer’s blog: How to Measure, View & Study Nanobubbles
- Moleaer’s resources: Nanobubbles