Does my sample look big in this?

As a new voice on the blog – but possibly a familiar one if you’re a regular at Malvern Panalytical webinars and industry events – I think a brief introduction is called for. I’m Alan Rawle, Applications Manager for Malvern Panalytical. Having been with, and travelled the globe for, Malvern since 1990 I finally made the move 8 years ago ‘across the pond’ as we say, from the UK to Malvern Panalytical Inc. in Westborough MA, from where my team and I support Malvern customers throughout the world.

If you want to dig deeper then you’re very welcome to look me up on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/alanrawle, drop me an email or simply give me a call.

Standards rule

I started my professional life as an industrial chemist and have now been immersed in the endlessly fascinating world of technology for frankly much longer than I care to admit. I like to think that my interests are wide-ranging, but one of the areas I’ve been especially privileged to become involved with is standards and validation for particle characterization. Amongst other work in this field, I’ve spent many years on the ISO TC24/SC4 (Particles Sizing techniques excluding sieving) committee which has been responsible for such international standards as ISO 13320-1 dealing with laser diffraction and ISO 13321 for photon correlation spectroscopy.  It’s also my pleasure to be Convener of WG10, Small Angle X-Ray Scattering Methods and, since moving to the US, ASTM has beckoned and  currently  I serve as CoChair of E 56.02, the Characterization SubCommittee of the ASTM E56 Committee on Nanotechnology.

So you get the picture – less of an interest, more an obsession!

Why so important?

Efficient, reliable, reproducible! Words that have to be close to the heart of anyone involved in particle characterization – or indeed any kind of metrology – and international standards that harness the experience and expertise of practitioners from different communities offer appropriate guidance. Similarly method validation to ensure ‘fitness for purpose’ is essential throughout many industries, and mandatory in pharmaceutical circles.

In subsequent blogs I, together with Malvern colleagues from around the world, will be exploring aspects of these issues as they apply to improving the practice of particle (and other materials) characterization. I hope you’ll find it both interesting and useful.

Until next time….