ABSTRACT
Particulate matter (in the form of powders, emulsions, aerosols, slurries, etc.) is involved in the majority of commercial manufacturing processes. The particles are discontinuous bits of matter that may be solid, liquid, or gas, and they might be of any size (nanometers to centimeters in diameter). The ability to characterize particles and systems of particles is important because for industrial processes, particle properties directly influence processing (e.g., rheology, mixing, reaction rate) as well as ultimate product performance. These processes are difficult to operate and control because the particle properties can fluctuate significantly throughout the process. Changes in the composition and rate of feed cause process fluctuations, and the resulting impact on size distribution (for example) can lead to production of off-spec material or equipment downtime.
