W. Buchheim et al., AN IMPROVED PROCEDURE FOR ESTIMATING SIZE DISTRIBUTION PARAMETERS OF SPHERICAL AND NONSPHERICAL PARTICLES FROM THEIR PLANAR CROSS-SECTIONS, Kieler Milchwirtschaftliche Forschungsberichte, 47(2), 1995, pp. 177-183
Direct determination of size distributions or average size parameters
of particles in disperse systems on the basis of thin planar sections
or cleavages, as e.g. from TEM micrographs of thin-sectioned or freeze
-fractured specimens, requires adequate mathematical procedures for co
nverting the apparent, i.e, two-dimensional, to the true, i.e. three-d
imensional, data. In case only certain average size parameters are nee
ded to characterize the disperse phase it is relevant to limit the amo
unt of measurements, especially if automated image analysis is not app
licable or available. This paper describes a procedure to simplify the
efforts required for measurement and calculation. Four examples of di
sperse systems are given, i.e. (I) an O/W-type emulsion, (II) a spray-
dried O/W emulsion (topping powder), (III) phospholipid liposomes and
(IV) colloidal protein aggregates in milk.