Noninvasive particle sizing using camera-based diffuse reflectance spectroscopy

Area of Science:

• Optical Physics
• Materials Science
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Diffuse reflectance measurements noninvasively assess optical properties like scattering and absorption coefficients.
• Spectroscopic analysis of these properties enables particle sizing, crucial for material characterization.
• Current fiber probe systems have limited spatial resolution, restricting their application range.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a noninvasive technique for acquiring apparent particle size distributions using camera-based spectroscopic oblique incidence reflectometry.
• To overcome the limitations of fiber probes by covering a wider range of optical properties.
• To validate the technique with known particle size distributions and apply it to complex industrial products.

Main Methods:

• Utilized camera-based spectroscopic oblique incidence reflectometry for diffuse reflectance measurements.
• Developed a novel noninvasive method for calculating apparent particle size distributions.
• Validated the technique using oil-in-water emulsions with characterized particle sizes.

Main Results:

• The developed technique successfully acquired apparent particle size distributions for oil-in-water emulsions.
• Apparent particle size distributions were measured in complex dairy products.
• The camera-based method demonstrated a wider range of optical property applicability compared to fiber probes.

Conclusions:

• Camera-based spectroscopic oblique incidence reflectometry offers a robust solution for noninvasive particle size distribution analysis.
• This technique is suitable for tracking particle size in industrial processes with diverse optical properties.
• The developed tool provides enhanced capabilities over traditional fiber probe systems for particle sizing applications.