About Light Scattering
Light scattering is a robust experimental technique that can be used to characterize the mesoscopic and nanoscale properties of various liquid-based materials. Static and dynamic light scattering techniques combined yield information on the properties of colloidal nano particles, complex fluids, polymeric systems, protein solutions, and heavy petroleum fractions. It can also be used for quality testing of various products ranging from food to pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals to oil and gas. One can measure many characteristics of fluids: diffusion coefficient, thermal diffusivity, and viscosity. This method is especially powerful for near-critical fluids for which the size and life time of fluctuations can be easily measured, and for colloidal, biological and other disperse systems if the particles suspended in the liquid are too small to be detected by optical microscopy. One can monitor the growth of the particles during a particular chemical or physico-chermical process and study the kinetics of the process.
We are currently using multi-angle static and dynamic light scattering spectrometers from Photocor Instruments.