In laser diffraction (static light scattering) the scattering pattern, obtained from
illumination of dispersed particles with a laser beam, contains information about particle size.
The interaction between particles and light is mainly dependent on particle size, shape, surface
roughness and refractive indices of material and dispersing medium.
For a specific material, the scattering pattern of a particle is unique for its size. Deconvolution of
the sample scattering pattern with an optical model such as Mie or Fraunhofer results in the
particle size distribution.
The technique is especially applicable for particle size analysis of samples with a
broad or bimodal distribution and for information on size trends in series of samples.
Materials can be characterized in the range of 0.04 to 2000 µm and dispersion can be made in
water, organic liquids as well as in air (dry).
1. particle
