Particle Size Distributions by Capillary Hydrodynamic Fractionation. Data Treatment and Sources of Errors

CLEMENTI, L.A.; VEGA, J.R.; GUGLIOTTA, L.M.

Buenos Aires

Simposio; Simposio Argentino de Polímeros SAP 2013; 2013

Universidad de Buenos Aires, Universidad Nacional de La Plata

This article theoretically evaluates the biases introduced into the estimated particle size distribution (PSD), when latexes with homogeneous sub-micrometric particles are analyzed by capillary hydrodynamic fractionation (CHDF). The effect of calibration errors, uncertainties in the particle refractive index (PRI), and instrumental broadening (IB) on the estimated PSDs are evaluated on the basis of a simulated example. Results suggest that small calibration biases and/or small uncertainties in the PRI can produce important deviations in the estimated average diameters and the PSD shape, as well as in the mass fractions of peaks in multimodal distributions. When the PSD exhibits narrow modes, an erroneous correction of the IB can predict a PSD shifted with respect to the true one, and therefore erroneous average diameters. When calibration errors, uncertainties in the PRI and IB are simultaneously present, important deviations in the shape, width, average diameters and number concentration of PSDs could be observed