FAQ - Liquid Particles

CLS 1000 Compression Sampler

Question
I have surfactant in my solution; will my particle counter mistake bubbles for particles?

Answer

One of the most important aspects to consider with surfactants is handling the product. Shaking, agitating, or even filling can entrain excessive air into the sample. All of our liquid particle counters will count the bubbles; in fact, any contaminant with a refractive index different from the solution will reflect light and therefore be recorded as a particle. Our compression samplers on the other hand, compress the sample prior to taking the reading to help reduce false counting bubbles as particles; for this reason, we would recommend these instruments for this application. Bear in mind, compression samplers can only minimize bubbles, not eliminate them completely especially artificially entrained air.