The key difference between Malvern and Sympatec is that Malvern particle size analyzer can be used to measure particles in the range of 0.1 micrometers to 3 micrometers, whereas Sympatec particle analyzer can be used to measure particles in the range of 0.1 micrometers to 8750 micrometers.
Particle size analyzers are instruments that determine the size range and/or the average size of the particles in samples. Malvern and Sympatec are two types of laser diffraction particle size analyzers. In these analyzers, the angle of light scattering is inversely proportional to the particle size when a beam of light, such as a laser, is scattered by a group of particles. Here, the smaller the particle size, the larger the angle of light scattering.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Malvern
3. What is Sympatec
4. Malvern vs Sympatec in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Malvern vs Sympatec
What is Malvern
Malvern mastersizer is a laser diffraction particle size analyzer that is suitable for measuring particle sizes ranging from 0.1 um – 3 mm. This analysis requires a small amount of sample for the analysis process, and the results can be recorded within 10 minutes per sample.
This instrument uses the technique of laser diffraction to measure the particle size and the distribution of the particle size of materials. It can achieve this by measuring the intensity of light scattered as a laser beam passes through a dispersed particulate sample.
There are two types of Malvern particle size analyzers as the Malvern 2000 and Malvern 3000. Usually, the Malvern 3000 has a smaller detector that allows measuring an upper size limit of 3.5 mm. However, it has a comparatively smaller optical bench size than that of the Malvern 2000.
When using this particle size analyzer, the residual is an indication of how well the calculated data was fitted into the measurement data. This is also known as the weighted residual. Typically, a good fit is indicated by a residual of under 1%.
What is Sympatec?
Sympatec is a type of particle size analyzer that uses a laser diffraction technique. It is useful in measuring particle sizes ranging from 0.1 micrometers to 8750 micrometers. Laser diffraction can be described as the established and most efficient light scattering method for particle size analysis that covers a wide range from submicron to millimeter scale.
The Sympatec technique uses a dry powder dispersion for even the finest cohesive powders. In this technique, the primary physical diffraction setup is achieved by deploying a parallel laser beam. This can yield the purest optical alignment for the analysis of the extended special arrangements of particle collectives. This allows the size characterization beyond limiting assumptions and constraints.
What is the Difference Between Malvern and Sympatec?
Malvern mastersizer is a laser diffraction particle size analyzer that is suitable for measuring particle sizes ranging from 0.1 um – 3 mm. Sympatec is a type of particle size analyzer that uses a laser diffraction technique. The key difference between Malvern and Sympatec is that the Malvern particle size analyzer can be used to measure particles in the range of 0.1 mm to 3 mm, whereas the Sympatec particle analyzer can be used to measure the particles in the range of 0.1 mm to 8750 mm. Furthermore, the Malvern particle analyzer is based on Mie theory, whereas the Sympatec particle analyzer is based on Fraunhofer theory.
The following table summarizes the difference between Malvern and Sympatec.
Summary – Malvern vs Sympatec
Both Malvern and Sympatec are types of laser diffraction particle size analyzers. The key difference between Malvern and Sympatec is that the Malvern particle size analyzer can be used to measure particles in the range of 0.1 mm to 3 mm, whereas the Sympatec particle analyzer can be used to measure the particles in the range of 0.1 mm to 8750 mm.
Reference:
1. “Malvern Particle Size Analyzer.” The Environmental Analytical Lab | Montana State University.
Image Courtesy:
1. “The Mastersizer 3000” By Plogeo – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia