The HORIBA LA-950 system is the highest performance laser
diffraction particle size analyzer available. Recent improvements to the
PowderJet dry powder feeder include increasing the upper measurement pressure to
4 bar, completely flexible adjustment of working pressure from 0 to 4 bar, and
automatic recoding and display of the pressure used for the measurement. Even
sub micron samples can now be completely dispersed in the natural dry state and
accurately measured from 200 nm to 3 mm.
The most significant advancement, however, comes with the launch of the
revolutionary Method Expert software. This new software suite completely
automates method development, making every user an expert in the challenging
science of particle size analysis. Every decision required during method
development is now automated through advanced software routines that guide the
user through a rigorous process. The steps automated by method Expert include
selection of refractive index, measurement duration, pump and stirrer speed,
concentration, amount of ultrasound. The user is guided at each step to select a
range of possible settings, perform the necessary measurements, and then select
the optimum condition. Each chosen condition is then stored in a method file
that will automatically perform each step of the procedure with the click of a
single button. Other software packages create standard operating procedures, but
only the HORIBA Method Expert guides the user through an informed decision
making process to the development of reproducible and robust particle size
methods.