DETERMINATION OF THE PARTICLE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF LATEX USING A COMBINATION OF ELASTIC LIGHT-SCATTERING AND TURBIDIMETRY - A SIMULATION STUDY

Turbidimetry at several wavelengths and elastic light scattering (ELS) at several angles can be used to determine particle size distribution s (PSDs) of suspended particles using Mie scattering theory. The limit ed range of measurement in reciprocal space and the measurement noise always cause both techniques to have their own limitations. In this wo rk, a way to combine turbidimetry and ELS data to be processed togethe r is proposed. In order to investigate the convenience of simultaneous versus individual processing, a set of computationally generated expe riments performed on suspensions of polystyrene particles is analyzed. The results clearly show that when the data are jointly processed the quality of the PSDs obtained is highly superior, This fact can be exp lained by the complementary characteristics of both techniques. Turbid imetry is more accurate at larger sizes, whereas ELS gives more precis e estimations at smaller sizes. This work shows that simultaneous proc essing of experimental data from different sources seems to be a valid alternative for improving the quality of indirect measurements. (C) 1 996 Academic Press, Inc.